Christmas

I typed this up a while back and totally forgot to post it. So now that it's the middle of January, here's a Christmas post.

December is such a jolly month.  The highs are seemingly endless as we hustle from one event to the next.  It begins with all the fun December Sunday evenings at our church with the Hanging of the Greens, our choir program, and the annual Christmas Jazz Night.  Then comes our Christmas ballet program, parties at school, and gifts from students.  The kids get out of school and enjoy evenings with no homework and lots of time to relax and play.  Ryan is home a lot more.  We go out for ice cream and drive around looking at the lovely Christmas lights.  Then there's  decorating the tree and the house, shopping, wrapping gifts, baking cookies, surprising neighbors, reading Christmas books, watching Christmas movies, and spending lots of time with family.  It's just such a wonderful time.

Then comes January. Let it be known that I'm not a big January fan. No major holidays to celebrate, no festive parties, no programs, an extra few pounds from all that December food, cold, yucky weather. Poor January. It's kinda like the middle child of months. No offense, Sharon.
Oh well, to balance out the post here are a few happy shots of Christmas. These just might be the only ones you see for awhile. :)

Baby Ballerinas

I just love the last day of ballet class each semester. We usually take a little time to chat about our program (Speaking of our program, it went really well, but I left my camera at home and have NO pictures. I might have to swipe some from someone else.)
Anyway, my students, who's ages range from 3 - 6 get the chance to chat about what they enjoyed and didn't enjoy about the program: the bright lights, watching the older girls dance, getting pretty flowers from Dad, etc. Inevitably, someone mentions how "exciting" it was to wait in the dark behind the curtain. What they're referring to is the five or so minutes before it's their turn to go on stage. We have to be completely silent and still, which is sometimes hard for little ones, but I kid you not, they're so much better at doing this than the 13 year olds. They take their roles very seriously. This is so funny to me, because it's what many parents fear will be too scary for their little dancers.
After we discuss the program we have a special class time when each child gets to "be the teacher." They basically just show us a favorite position, jump, stretch, or sequence then lead their fellow classmates in executing the movement and making any necessary corrections. This is absolutely hysterical. If you know a three year old, just imagine her (toddler belly and all) telling a friend that she needs to "straighten that leg a little more." "Don't look at your feet!" "Tummies in!" I'm sore the next day from suppressing my laughter.
Here are some pics of my lovely dancers. They are just wonderful, sweet little girls, and I'm so thankful for the joy they bring me each week.

Betcha Can't Guess

Caroline has recently entered the world of self feeding with utensils. As we enter this new stage in life, I have been reflecting on Anna and Luke's experiences with self feeding. I recall mealtimes that have been full of laughter, joy, and pride as we've watched our little one learn to nourish her/himself. Then, I unfortunately recall those meals that have included sighs, grief, annoyance, and impatience. Why is it, I wonder, that we handle similar situations so differently from day to day? On this particular day, Caroline's state of messiness made me laugh and cry tears of joy. As you see, I even whipped out the camera. But on a different occasion, those tears may not be quite so joyful.
Ah, the power of a mother's moods.
Well, moving on, betcha can't guess what that yummy brown stuff all over Caroline is. Pudding, you say? Nope. A gooey chocolate bar? Unh - uh. Ice cream? Try again. Can't guess? Well, I'll tell ya. Black beans, baby! Straight from the can. And she was lovin' 'em!!

Luke's First Team

A few weeks ago, Luke began his first experience with an organized sport. He is now a member of the Lake Ridge Golden Bears basketball team. Considering he's the only kindergarten player, he's doing alright. Most of the boys are quite a bit bigger and more experienced, but Luke's fine with it. This is definitely the year for him to learn how the game works, simple dribbling, passing, and shooting skills. He has a great coach and loves being part of a team. These are some shots from his first game. Sorry no action shots. My camera's doesn't do so great with those. But really, these pictures speak volumes about what was most important to Luke that night.

Ho Ho Ho

Ryan and I both loved Santa when we were growing up. So when Anna was born we discussed the whole Santa debate. We really wanted to let our kids experience Santa. But we weren't too keen on telling them a big fat lie and crushing their dreams one day. So here's what we came up with. We decided to let them in on the Santa experience but be willing to tell them the truth the first time they sincerely inquired about his existence.
Well, last Christmas the kids popped the big question. Hesitantly, we did as planned and told them the truth. They took it pretty well. We still put out cookies for Santa, we still sprinkled oatmeal on the yard for the reindeer, we still read Santa books and watched the Polar Express (LOVE IT) and of course, we still opened our gifts from Santa on Christmas Day. It wasn't as magical as the previous year when they still believed, but it was still lots of fun. We were pretty satisfied with how we handled everything until Luke's kindergarten teacher pulled me aside a few months ago.
Now I forgot to mention that when Luke learned that there was no Santa, he was a mere four years old. That's pretty young to know the truth, so we emphatically encouraged him (well, maybe we threatened his life, I don't really remember) but we emphasized the importance of letting his preschool friends who still believed in Santa learn the truth from their parents, NOT him. Shockingly, he obeyed, as far as we know.
Flash forward almost a year later to a lovely October day in Luke's kindergarten. (Yes, that's October. Not December or even November. I really had planned to remind Luke and Anna about our little promise to let believers' parents tell them the truth, but in October? Goodness, there's no way I'm thinking that far ahead!) Well, a year is a long time for a little five year old, and needless to say, Luke either forgot or just didn't care and took it upon himself to blab to truth to an unsuspecting friend.
Well, this little guy didn't take it quite as well as Anna and Luke had, nosiree. The poor lad who's third grade sister still believes too told his mom what that mean boy said about Santa. His mom told Luke's teacher who promptly moved Luke's seating position away from the grieving boy. Now the Baders have become that family who doesn't believe in Santa.
Good grief. Such drama.
Anyway, I'll leave that story as a backdrop to our recent ride on Knoxville's Santa Train. Ryan's dad treated us to this fun ride through some of Knoxville's countryside. Even if Caroline is the only believer left in our family (not for long, I say, not for long) we had such a nice time riding the train, eating yummy snacks and hot chocolate (Polar Express style) listening to a sweet Christmas book, and visiting with old Ho Ho himself. The troublemaker. No really, it was such a sweet, fun experience that the kids will remember for a long time. Thanks Paw Paw.
An afterthought: After detailing Luke's kindergarten blab tale, an old memory crept out of my subconscious. I distinctly remember sitting in my kindergarten class at a tiny round table with three friends (one of whom was constantly getting sick because of the amount of glue he injested) as we colored a picture of Santa climbing out of a chimney. This was my comment: "This is so stupid. Santa isn't even real." The reason I so vividly remember this is not because I thought that I had ruined the magic of Santa for my friends. No, that selfless thought never entered my brain. It's because I was horrified at the prospect of my teacher finding out I had said the word "stupid." Maybe Luke was just trying to pass on a little kindergarten family tradition.

Two Holidays

We're a little behind on our posts. So here's a little catching up.

Halloween was big fun again this year. Anna dressed up as a dog, complete with our real dog's collar. Luke was a ninja, and Caroline was a lion but didn't really know it. All she knew was that when our neighbor stuck a stick with a ball on the end of it in her mouth, she was in toddler heaven.
We started right after school and toured the neighborhood. I'd like to take a moment to thank our neighbors for being so kind to our children. We received some really nice treats including lots of yummy sweets, Halloween bags and buckets, books, puzzles, and special toddler friendly treats. We are blessed with such kind neighbors. Thank you!
Then we traveled out to Jonesborough to some family members where we were greeted with some very special home made goodies from Mammaw and Pappaw.
From there the guys and the gals split up.
Ryan took Luke to a Science Hill football game. Luke was excited to be able to be on the field helping Dad and PawPaw video the band. Anna and I put Caroline to bed then had a girls' night with games, books, and an American Girl video. Lotsa fun.

Thanksgiving was full of way too much food and lots of family time. We all enjoyed the Thanksgiving Feast at Anna and Luke's school. This is a super meal provided by the parents of the multiage classes, and boy is it a feast! My tummy is still feeling that one.
We woke up early and did the Turkey Trot (a family 5K) which was lots of fun when Caroline wasn't crying. The rest of the day was spent with my family in Jonesborough, which is always filling and relaxing.
The day after Thanksgiving was spent with Ryan's mom, aunt, uncle and cousins and some friends in Johnson City. My favorite part of this day was going on a nice long walk with everyone through Ryan's mom's neighborhood.
Needless to say, we have SO MUCH to be thankful for.

Lovely

I had the privilege of teaching a beginning ballet class at church this semester. I love teaching ballet, but I must admit that I've never enjoyed a class as much as this one. These are such precious little girls. They LOVE dancing. Our class times were full of chatting, giggles, smiles, hugs, and watching one another express our emotions through dance. We had a wonderful time together. To finish off our fall semester, they performed a worship dance that we've been working on each week. They were beautiful. They truly worshiped God through their dance. Maybe I'll have a video soon.

Bride and Groom

My niece is now a lovely married woman. She and her high school sweetheart had been dating for five years and decided it was time to tie the knot! They got married in the church where they met and have been attending for years. It was such a sweet little country church out in the middle of some beautiful farm land. I thoroughly enjoyed the drive and the serenity of the church setting. Anna and Luke were ring bearer and flower girl which was just adorable. They did a great job. Congratulations Nicole and Michael! Thank you for letting us be a part of your special day. We love you guys!

Still celebrating

The year 2008 has been a big year for many of my friends and myself. When I use the term "big," I'm not meaning physically large. No, be ye not misunderstanding. What I'm trying to communicate with the word "big" is a feeling of sadness, anger, confusion, disillusionment, regret, and an altogether sense of depression. Why so downcast, you ask? Unfortunately, I was born in the year 1978. You might be saying to yourself, "Hmm, what's so unfortunate about 1978?" Well, I'll tell ya. 1978 was exactly 30 years ago. Which means I'm now 30 myself. Last year I was a babe in my 20s, now not so much. Fortunately, I age at the same rate as everyone else and my friends and hubby are experiencing this right along with me. We'll get through it together. Maybe.
Just joshin'!. I really don't care that I'm 30. I'm actually kinda glad because I've celebrated this birthday for 6 months now, and it looks like I'm gonna keep on celebrating 30 till I turn 40!
So far, I've had a trip to Vegas, a weekend with Ryan, dinner out, a party with family, a day with Ryan (for his big 3-0 day), and an evening with Siena and Rachel for Siena's big day, and a party with Rachel for her's. Next is a day at the spa with these same gals.
When I turned 29 I think I maybe got dinner and some gifts. Is it just me or is 30 like the best age ever?

Our Children Across the Globe

When Ryan and I were dating, we decided to sponsor a child through World Vision, a mission organization committed to helping ease the pain of poverty and disease while communicating the love of Jesus Christ. We chose a precious little three year old girl from Lesotho, South Africa. Here is the first picture we received of her.

Isn't she precious? Well, this little girl grew over the years.

She is now a beautiful 14 year old young lady.

Several years ago, we decided to sponsor two more children, one for Anna and one for Luke.

Here is Betinha. So cute. Every time I look at this picture I want to take out a tissue and wipe her little nose clean.

Maybe she's a little handful.


And here is Baphelele. Precious. . .

. . . and maybe a little shy.

Here are some shots of Anna and Luke holding their pictures. We took these to send to the kids so they would know we received their photos.

All three children are from different parts of South Africa which is a total coincidence since World Vision works with kids all over the globe. I think that's God's way of telling us we need to go visit all of them one day.
They all live in communities plagued by famine and disease. Mostly we receive positive updates of all that is going well in their communities: wells being dug, schools being erected, food, clothing, and health care being provided. We receive their pictures and personal notes and drawings. They always look very healthy which is such a victory itself. We have occasionally received letters of sadness informing us of the deaths of fathers, mothers, and grandparents. We suspect these are deaths from preventable disease, deaths that may not have occurred had they lived in different circumstances. They seem so far away, theirs lives so difficult and unfair.
But lately I've been feeling their closeness. When I hold their letters and pictures in my hands I realize I'm touching something they've touched. The physical distance between us is not really that far. We're a part of the same world. We have the same needs. We're watching them grow just as rapidly as our own children.
Aren't they just wonderful? It really is amazing to be a part of their lives.
We would like to ask you, our friends and family, to remember them in your prayers each time you remember our own children. And if you would like to know more about child sponsorship, visit worldvision.org.

Mmmm Fall!

WE LOVE FALL!!
Each time the weather changes and a new season begins, the Baders welcome it with open arms. (Except for nasty winter, of course, which is the season to celebrate all things dead and brown.) We always look forward to the changes: the changes in weather, the changes in activities, the changes in nature. In winter, we look forward to the warmth and flowers of spring. In spring, we look forward to summertime swimming and barefeet. In summer, we anticipate fall's cool (but not cold) evenings, pretty leaves, pumpkins, Halloween & Thanksgiving, cuddling up under blankets to read, and making s'mores on the fire pit. I love taking pictures of the kids in a big pile of leaves or cuddling up with some big, fat, pumpkins! Of course, we all know what comes after fall, but we'll not dwell on that.

To the Zoo

Our fall break consisted of a couple days to relax, a day for play dates, a wedding, a church picnic, and a trip to the Knoxville Zoo. It had been a few years since Anna and Luke had been, so they were super excited. Caroline had no idea what the long drive was all about but she did enjoy the cool animals and catching a cat nap in her stroller. Anna and Luke loved EVERYTHING. They excitedly ran from each area to the next until we had seen everything (and none too soon since our enthusiasm had thoroughly been drained after several hours.) This was a very nice day trip for everyone and helped add a little excitement to our fall break.

Trip to Pittsburgh

We traveled to Pittsburgh, PA for Ryan's cousin's wedding a few weeks ago. The drive was less than desirable, but seeing Ryan's family was great. Ryan officiated the wedding, which was outside at a beautiful golf course. It was lovely, and we wish Bryan and Christy all the best. Unfortunately, I took no pictures of the wedding itself. But I made sure I got some of Great Grandma and Grandpa Bader who are faithful blog readers. We love you all!

Hooray for Nebulizers!

These are some shots I took of Caroline at the doctor's office recently. She looks pretty happy, so you'd never know that just a short time before this visit, she could hardly breathe. Basically, over the past six months, on three separate occasions, she'd gone from absolutely no symptoms of anything to labored breathing worthy of panic over the course of just a few short hours.
We (Ryan, myself, and the doctors) are perplexed about what is causing her lungs to respond so violently. We thought maybe she has a seasonal allergy that was causing the trouble, but the results from a blood test indicate otherwise. She's not allergic to anything. She's not catching some type of sickness. Her lung tissue just seems to suddenly react to something and swell. Weird.
Luckily, modern medicine has come up with something cool called a "nebulizer" that works like magic. We simply squirt a little medicine into a machine that turns it into a mist which Caroline then breathes in while wearing a sad little mask. It takes about 10 minutes, which can seem like an eternity, so we sing songs to pass the time. Caroline's favorite is "The Wheels on the Bus" just in case you were wondering.
Anyway, this little modern miracle turns Caroline's frown upside down as you can see above. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll discover the answer to her lung phenomenon. Until then, we're starting to run out of ideas for cutsie toddler songs that don't get irritating after repeating 11 times. Any ideas anyone?

You ain't foolin' me!

Caroline is a pretty good eater. She has, however, recently rebelled against raw carrots. This is disconcerting not only because carrots are healthy, but because they're my tried and true stand by for a no prep way to get vegetables into the growing bodies of my children. You can pretty much count on carrots with most any lunch we have. So you can imagine my horror when I saw Caroline spit them out recently. I thought, "What's this? You don't like the carrots? Oh, no. What does the rest of the world do at lunch time with no carrots? We have a peanut butter sandwich, a quarter apple, milk, and . . . well. . . what? We've gotta get a veggie in there somewhere. Maybe I could steam some broccoli. Or how about some yummy sweet corn? Maybe a nice side of peas. Oh, but wait. I forgot. I don't really do the whole cooking thing at lunch time. I put off that horrid practice until the evening hours when I force myself to turn on the stove. Whatever shall we do?" Hey, maybe I'll let her dip them in some peanut butter. Yeah, that's it. Camo the carrots! She'll never know the difference. Here you go Caroline. Here's some peanut butter and some yummy orange . . . umm . . . sticks! yeah, for dipping. What are you doing Caroline? No, baby. You've gotta bite the sticks. Come on Caroline. Don't just lick the peanut butter off. It's a really yummy orange STICK. BITE it! Please? Just bite the orange stick, dadgummit!! Good grief. Now I've gotta go and turn on that stove. And it's not even 5:00 yet.

Soccer?

Growing up, Ryan and I both enjoyed sports. Between us, we've played basketball, baseball, softball, tennis, golf, and football (well, powder puff and intramural, but that counts, right?) We've always hoped our kids would also enjoy sports. I've always thought I'd be open to them playing whichever sports they chose.
However, the day Anna asked to take up soccer, I was less than thrilled. I know nothing of the soccer world, other than the fact that touching the ball with one's hands is frowned upon. Nevertheless, our firstborn is now a ballet dancing, piano playing, soccer girl. I'm enjoying watching Anna and asking as many questions as she is. Why is she going that way? Why did she just pick up the ball? Why doesn't she just shove her out of the way? I think #3 is a boy. Yep, I'm sure of it. Go, Anna, go!! No, the other way!

Caught!

I knew it was just a matter of time. The day Caroline learned to open cabinets I said to myself "She's gonna find that treat jar one of these days." Sure enough, I walked into the kitchen the other day to find this. When I walked in, she turned to see me and completely froze. I just know she was thinking "Uh oh, this is really good stuff. It's gotta be bad." Unfortunately for Caroline, the treat jar now has a new home in an upper cabinet.

Labor Day and a lot of Caroline

So I'm a little behind. My parents, grandparents, and sister's family came over for a little Labor Day get together. As usual, Caroline manages to get into almost every shot. Our "other kids" are old news I guess. Poor things. Thirty years from now, they're going to use this blog as proof when we're having this conversation.

"Oh mom, you were so easy on Caroline. Anna and I could look at you wrong and get spanked. Caroline could slap you're face and you'd be like "Oh, look Ryan. Isn't she cute? She's asserting herself. Quick, get the video camera. And oh, could you spank Anna and Luke? They just looked at me funny."
I'll reply with an "Oh, whatever! It just seemed that way because she was the youngest. I treated you the same way when you were her age." Then they'll roll their eyes at me, which is completely unacceptable, so I'll spank them then go take a picture of Caroline.

Another birthday?

It is just me, or am I constantly showing another birthday celebration? Could it be that my kids have birthdays more than once a year? Maybe that's why their growing so quickly. Anna is now 7. I'm positive she just started preschool last year, so there really must be some kind of time warp occurring with our family.

Nights of the Bizarre

Sunday nights in August are bizarre for the youth of our church. They've enjoyed Ryan's weird games and crazy ideas with notable patience and pleasure. This past week's homemade slip n slide wasn't too bizarre, except for the fact that no one ended up in the emergency room. Now, that was bizarre.

One Last Hoorah

Our last big event of the summer is our annual trip to Atlanta with Ryan's little league team. Ryan's dad is the team sponsor, so he plans a great weekend for the players and their families. We all load into a big charter bus and head down for a couple days to catch a Braves game and visit a theme park. Last year was Six Flags, so this year we went to White Water. Talk about fun for the kids. This is one of their favorite parts of being our children. They love the water slides, sleeping in a college dorm, going to see the Braves, and eating a lot of good food. But their favorite part by far is the bus ride. Luke always sits in the back with Ryan's little leaguers. (No car seats required.) He feels like such a big boy with them and has enjoyed this part of the trip since he was 2.
Anna always sits right behind Ryan and me with a little sister of one of the players. Most of the time they color, read, giggle, and enjoy little girlhood. We were shocked at one point, however, to turn around and discover Anna and her friend enthusiastically kissing their pillows. Ryan and I looked at each other what an "Are they doing what I think they're doing?" kind of look. We're fairly certain they were pretending to kiss boys, but we're telling ourselves they were just expressing their love for their pillows. Yeah, that's it. They were really nice pillows.

We also went to a little place called Dixie Land Park. There were quite a few fun rides including one you'll see below that was honestly the most frightening ride I've ever experienced.
This is a pretty big statement because I've ridden roller coasters all over the country. I love the thrill of a good scary ride. This one, however, had to be breaking like forty two codes. You're simply strapped into these seats connected to a wicked long arm that blasts you around to unspeakable heights. You're suspended upside down over really solid looking pavement with NOTHING over your shoulders. I screamed. I screamed loud and hard. The entire time. The blood vessels in my eyes are still healing.

Sweetwater

I grew up in a small town called Sweetwater, TN, located about 2 1/2 hours southwest of where we are living now. My parents still live there and run their dairy farm with the help of one of my sisters and her husband. Ever since Anna was born, we've tried to make the drive about once every 2 to 3 months to stay for several days and visit.


This last visit was a fun one. My parents recently moved to town but still run the farm which is several miles outside of town. Being "in the city" has added a lot to our visits. During our latest visit my mom and I walked with the kids to the duck park so they could traumatize a bunch of overweight geese and ducks. We enjoyed some time at the school playground that is a couple blocks from my parents' house. We spent an afternoon at the city pool. We also had some time to just relax and be with my sister and her family.

Athens is a neighboring city where I went to high school. It is home to one of the most awesome playgrounds I've ever seen. Take a look at those slides! Shouldn't there be pools at the bottom? Shouldn't the sign read "Welcome to Athens Regional Park where your kids will enjoy zooming down really high slides, climbing a web that is two stories high, sitting on some really hot surfaces, and a field trip to the ER!"
For me, a nice part of going to this park is that I frequently discover some long lost friend from high school who has brought her children to play. It's great to reconnect after so many years. How many years has it been? Oh, it's not really been many. Did I say after "so many" years? I just meant that it seems like it's been awhile. It's really not. I'm really young, you know. Really.

In Remembrance of our only boy (not really)

Once upon a time, a baby boy was born.

The baby boy was loved and nurtured.
He laughed and danced.
He posed for silly pictures.
He experienced joys . . .
. . . and frustrations.

He was sweet. As sweet as they come . . .
. . . and silly. As silly as they come.
Oh, how his family loved him.
Then one day, one horrible sad day, the boogie man stole the boy from his loving family.
And he was never to be seen again.
Just kidding. The boogie man didn't really steal the boy.
No, it was something called Kindergarten.
And they did see him again.
Just not as often.
Oh well, at least we still have Caroline . . .
. . . till the boogie man strikes again.

The Slushie was the best part.

For Christmas this past year, Ryan's dad ("Paw Paw") decided to treat us to tickets to some area attractions. Every month, we receive another Christmas gift in the mail. The kids have loved this. Some of the tickets have been to Fun Expedition, the Gray Fossil Museum, and Barter Theatre. The latest was for Wetlands. This was a fun, hot day for us all. Anna & Luke loved the slides most of all. Anna was a little disappointed that she wasn't tall enough to ride the big slides (weird since she was tall enough last year) but she handled it pretty well. Mom & Dad's favorite part was finding a comfy, shady area to relax. The kids had fun eating a blue slushie and sharing with their baby sister. Oddly, I came away with no swimming pictures but plenty of the slushie.

Snakes in the Library

Our city library has provided our family with some great entertainment this summer. The kids' favorite was the day "Safari Greg" brought some unusual creatures. He ended the show by bringing out one of the biggest snakes I've ever seen. That's when I pulled out the camera for some shots of the kids with wide eyes and expressions of caution. Is it really OK for that thing to be in the library?

Sweet Shots

We drove up to Rocky Mount which is a hop, skip, and a jump from our home for some family pictures. My friend, Rebecca, did a great job. For more pics or to order some, just check out Rebecca's site at rebeccamarrphotography.com. She's really good and super reasonable. Thanks Rebecca!

Miss you Dad

Ryan is currently soaking up the sun in the Cayman Islands. We're totally jealous, but this is his celebrating the big 30 equivalent to my Vegas trip in May. We hope you're having fun Dad. Miss you lots. Here are some of our favorite shots of our favorite guy.

Senior League

Most of you know that Ryan is a big baseball fan. He loves following the Atlanta Braves and coaching Little League. You may not know, however, that he still enjoys playing. He and some of his buds plus a few youth group fellas try to get together occasionally (ok, once a year if he's lucky)for a game. This year we also cooked out to make it fun for the families too. Caroline was especially moody this evening, but everyone else had a great time.

Hit the Deck

Ever since we bought our house a couple years ago, we've been wanting to build a deck. Now it's finally complete and we're loving it. It's so nice to be able to step out of the kitchen to check on the kids playing in the back yard. We're also eating nearly every meal outside. Ryan's mom surprised me with a fire pit for my birthday, so the kids are seeing s'mores in our future and Ryan & I are seeing cozy fall evenings by the fire.

To celebrate the new deck, we invited friends over for dinner. I didn't take any pictures of our evening until after the meal when I just had to break out the camera. My friend, Lisa, and I had gone into the living room to relax and watch our babies play. We expected the guys to follow, but as we talked we noticed they were taking awhile. Those of you who know Ryan know that he is an amazing housekeeper ( honestly, he's teetering on OCD.) But when we have friends over, we usually enjoy the evening and worry about the dishes later. Imagine our joy when we discovered them doing this back in the kitchen. What a beautiful sight! Oh, and to be fair, George didn't make it into the pictures, but he's in there drying and putting the dishes away! You guys can come over anytime.

New Life

I had noticed that each time I went to water a hanging basket of petunias, a bird would usually fly out of it. I hadn't thought much of it until about a week ago when I took the basket down so Luke could water it. Nestled down among the flowers was a sweet little nest containing five tiny blue eggs. We were all so excited. We quickly placed it back on its hook and went inside to watch the mother fly back to her eggs. A couple days later, we took it down again and there was a tiny naked bird. It was the cutest little thing I've ever seen. Luke, our little tough guy even responded with "Aawh, it's so sweet!" He was so anxious to put it back so it's mommy could come back and keep it warm. This morning we found two more had hatched. Then this evening there were four. (We're hoping the fifth egg is hiding under a sibling.) How exciting to witness sweet new life.

Just the Two of Us

We thought our July 4th festivities were complete around 11PM on July 4. Anna and I, however, decided to take in a concert and some extra fireworks in Jonesborough on the 5th. This turned out to be such a special evening with Anna. When she is alone with me (and just about any other adult) she magically matures. Ten minutes before we left the house she was a silly little six year old girl. As we drove out of our neighborhood, she transformed into an observant, thoughtful, young lady with these words: "Mom, I'm so glad we're going out just the two of us. Isn't everything so pretty when the sun is almost down and there are plants all around? I love how everything feels so cozy and warm." This started our evening off well.
When we got to Jonesborough we parked on Main St. and lazily walked through the Jonesborough Days vendors until we arrived at the Trey Hensley concert. Some of you may not know that we have such a talented, young (he just graduated from high school) musician local to our area. He put on a great show.
Following the concert we enjoyed a root beer and a trip to the Lollipop Shop. My favorite part of the evening was waiting for the fireworks to begin. We spread out a blanket, sat down and chatted for awhile. The conversation we had was just so pleasant. She even commented on how she missed Luke and how he would have enjoyed the evening too. Just as I was thinking about how much Anna was growing up, she hopped off the blanket to dance to some music and catch fireflies. All of a sudden, she was a little girl. What an amazing, wonderful point in life. She can easily enjoy moving from young lady to little girl. She doesn't know she's changing and maturing. She's simply enjoying it.
When the fireworks began, Anna laid her head down on my lap and "oohed" and "aahed" over her favorite glittery fireworks. I, on the other hand, spent most of the time looking at Anna, playing with her hair, and "oohing" and "aahing" over the little beauty with her head on my lap.

Fourth of July Festivities

June is a very busy month for Ryan. With camp and two missions trips, he was only home for a week and a half throughout the entire month. So when July 4 rolls around, we not only celebrate Independence Day, we also celebrate the return of our husband and dad. This year, we celebrated with the Jonesborough parade, inflatable games and hotdogs at a church near Freedom Hall, then Johnson City's fireworks show. The kids love this holiday. Even Caroline enjoyed the festivities and was a trooper staying up way past bedtime. What a great day for everyone.

Happy Birthday Caroline!

Our family had fun celebrating our baby's first birthday. She devoured her yummy cake and had fun opening and climbing on her presents. Big sis enjoyed her role as assistant present opener. Caroline received diapers and wipes (yeah!), money, a safety gate, gift cards, a babydoll, bath toys, a beach towel, clothes, and sunglasses. Thanks to everyone for helping make it a special day!

Yeah Summer!

I was very excited for Anna's last day of school. Summer is our time to enjoy long, fun days outdoors. Most of our time is spent in the backyard. We're blessed with some sweet neighborhood kids who love to come over and play. And sometimes we're blessed with a break when our kids decide to go to their houses. Summertime also calls for swimming at Warrior's Path, friends' homes, or the lake, sleepovers, lightning bugs, Hawaiian ice, the Lakeside Cinema, and sleeping in our tent. Caroline is becoming one of the kids rather than the baby. She enjoys the fun right along with everyone. For us all, it's just a great time of year.

Dollywood (in Anna's words)

Anna is making her blogging debut with her memories of our annual trip to Dollywood with Gran. Enjoy.
Me and my family went to doly wood. It was fun.And my mom and me rode the sky ride. it was fun. And my granma rode the cars with me to.And my favrit thing to do was the water slide. And I love doly wood and Gran so so so much and I am very very very happy. Another thing that I did was play in the water area. I also rode blazing fury. it felt like everything was on fire. It was so so fun.

Mammaw & Pappaw's Cherries

My grandparents have two wonderful cherry trees growing in their yard. Up until a couple years ago, they had three. One was very small, however, and we decided it would be a great addition to our yard. So we dug it up, and now it stands near our mailbox. It was doing great until "The Great Frost of '07." Ever since then, it is only half living. When I say "half" I mean you could draw a line down the middle and have a thriving tree on one side and firewood on the other. Needless to say, our cherry harvest was tiny (the birds at them all.)
My grandparents' trees, however, flourished this year. So we've been picking cherries like crazy. Anna's really good at this now. Luke, on the other hand, eats more than he saves. They make scrumptious cobblers!

Camp ACC

Ryan directs a senior high week of camp at Camp ACC in Unicoi each summer. This always proves to be a fabulous week of fun and growth for the students and volunteers alike. Some highlights from this week were visiting some elderly friends in local nursing homes, improving some homes, a "Lost and Found" concert, crazy messy games, lots of great speakers, learning some new words (Tao, Namaste, Ubuntu, Solidaeridade), making some new friends, reconnecting with some old friends, worshiping our God as one body, and witnessing a friend join that body. For more pics, check the camp out at campacc.com

Happy Daddy Day!

I'm one of those grown women who still calls her father "Daddy." Maybe it's because I'm Southern. But maybe it's because he's more of a "Daddy" to me than a "Dad" or "Father." Daddy is a dairy farmer. He loves to farm, keep up with UT Football and the Lady Vols basketball. He's a wonderful singer and puts on productions with a local chorale. He has always been faithful to the church and his family. He and my "Mamma" (yes, they are still "Mamma" and "Daddy") have been married for almost 40 years. Daddy is currently fighting cancer and will soon beat it. He is the best Daddy and Grandaddy I could have ever imagined.
And here's to the other dad in my life. Anna, Luke, and Caroline are blessed with a dad who spends much of his life playing, reading, driving, disciplining, teaching, tickling, laughing, comforting, hugging, kissing, and loving his children. What a great dad.

We love summer!!

I was very excited for Anna's last day of school. Summer is our time to enjoy long, fun days outdoors. Most of our time is spent in the backyard. We're blessed with some sweet neighborhood kids who love to come over and play. And sometimes we're blessed with a break when our kids decide to go to their houses. Summertime also calls for swimming at Warrior's Path, friends' homes, or the lake, sleepovers, lightning bugs, Hawaiian ice, the Lakeside Cinema, and sleeping in our tent. Caroline is becoming one of the kids rather than the baby. She enjoys the fun right along with everyone. For us all, it's just a great time of year.

LOST

We had fellow LOST fans over to enjoy the season finale and mourn the loss of our favorite show for another 9 months.

Not So Sweet

I've been painting banners for Ryan's week of camp. I must have had a moment of insanity last night when I left baby and paint in the house alone.

Sweet Caroline

This has been a big month for Caroline.
She learned to crawl forward (she'd been scooting backward for a few months) and is so happy with her new found mobility.
She learned to pull up to a standing position.
She drinks big girl milk from a big girl cup.
She has started talking a little.
"tie du" = "thank you"
"Da" = "dad" or "dog" whichever is within sight
"eee" = "wee" on the swing
"Mama" makes me smile as I trick myself into believing she's referring to me.
She can give kisses.
She can wave hello and good bye.
She can laugh when we say "no." Bad news.
Really, though, Caroline is super. She's happy and pleasant most always and brings out the best in her siblings. Here's to our 11 month old sweetie.

Country Music Video

I had several short-lived part time jobs as a high school student. The most memorable, by far, was when I held the position of stall cleaner outer at a local horse farm. It was my job to stop by after school several days a week and scoop poop. Sounds like drudgery, but I actually loved it for a time. I was never a huge country music fan, but I did like a few of the hits, namely Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine." I embraced the role of southern belle on a horse farm while scooping the poop and belting out Shania's truths. However, tragedy struck one day when I was cleaning the stall of a massive stallion that was worth about 10 zillion bucks. Evidentially, I left the stall door open a little too far. When he noticed this he bolted, nearly killing me in the process. He ran fast. He ran far. I ran fast to the owner's home for some help. After some yelling, cussing, and whipping on the part of the owner, the horse was safely returned to his stall. I was in tears. They never called me to come back. I've been scared of horses ever since.
All these fond memories came rushing back when we took our youth group to a local horse farm a couple weeks ago. It was a lot of fun. We had to stay inside to ride because of the nasty weather, but everyone enjoyed the beautiful horses anyway. Anna and Luke had a great time. Honestly, though, the minute they brought out a huge stallion, my heart started pounding a mile a minute and I was so relieved when it was time to leave.

VEGAS

For the past ten years, a group of girlfriends and I have been going on trips together each year. When we were in college, we always went camping for two reasons. 1. We like camping. 2. We had no money. So, when we graduated and stared making some bucks, we began alternating camping with more elaborate trips. We've been on a cruise to the Bahamas and on a beach trip to St. Augustine. But this year was the biggest yet. We've all either just turned 30 or will be turning 30 soon (please note that I am still 29 :) , so we decided this year we'd do something big. Our destination? Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada!! What a blast we had! We stayed at the Venetian which was gorgeous and wonderful in every way. We had dinner at the Eiffel Tower which was probably the nicest meal I've ever had. We walked the strip, watched many Bellagio fountain shows, played the slot machines, ate some really good food, attended a Cirque du Soleil performance (my favorite part of the trip), laughed, talked, relaxed, and had an amazing trip.

And, oh, to the kind people of Las Vegas, I would like to extend my sincere apologies for thinking you an immoral group of crazies. I actually left my wallet in a cab one evening. Yes, in Las Vegas of all places, my wallet fell out of my purse unbeknownst to me. I was prepared to never see my wallet or its contents ever again. But the next day, the kind people at the lost and found office for Checker Cab Service returned my wallet which contained every dime I had in it, credit cards, etc.

Thank you, Joy, for all the hard work you put into planning the trip. Thank you, Ryan, for being a great single dad while I was gone. And thank you girls for your friendship. I loved all our long chats. What a refreshing, fun time.

God's Gift

Last fall, the kids and I planted some bulbs outside. We have really enjoyed watching them emerge from the cold ground and bloom into beautiful spring flowers. The kids check on their progress each day. Luke and I had a heart to heart about God creating flowers just because he loves us and wanted to give us something beautiful. Sometimes I think talks like these don't really mean much, but this one did. Luke stopped, looked around, and said "Yeah, that's nice." I prayed that his love for the flowers and the knowledge that God made them for his enjoyment would bring him into a deeper appreciation for God's tenderness. Sometimes it's hard to express beauty to a boy. But I really think Luke got it that day. What a gift.

First Swim

Caroline was a little too small to swim last year. So, even though it probably wasn't quite warm enough, I let her and Luke swim a little last week. Poor Luke didn't get in a single shot. He's the middle child, so what do you expect? Anna was at school, so she missed all the action. Oh, but the baby. We do love her. Look at all that chub! She's irresistible.

In Our Own Backyard

Anna and Luke had a day off from school last Monday, so we decided to venture out to Gray for our first visit to the new fossil museum. We all enjoyed learning about the animals that once roamed our area. It's so cool that people are traveling from miles and miles to see what is just down the road from us. The kids especially enjoyed the BIG T-rex display. Her name is Sue, and although she wasn't found here, she was still impressive.

Happy Birthday Kassidy

My (Beth) niece turned eleven last week. My sister, Sharon, and her husband has us over to celebrate. Even though Kassidy is older than our kids, they have a blast together. Happy birthday Kassidy!

Jonesborough Kids' Day

We enjoyed Jonesborough's Kids' Day last week. The kids got to make some neat crafts, eat ice cream, have their fingerprints made, see a magic show, sit in some big machines, and enjoy a day just for them.

Looking Out

Caroline enjoys sitting at the front door watching the neighborhood happenings. This is precious to me. I imagine her little mind soaking in the outside world and yearning for the freedom to explore it. For now, I enjoy the fact that she is with me. She is protected. I simultaneously fear and look forward to the days when she is no longer looking out at the world, but is actively participating in it. So goes the bittersweet reality of raising children. Fortunately, the sweet far outweighs the bitter.

Finally!

Those of you who know me well know that I am fairly new to the whole computer world. For years I have shunned it as a less than personal way to communicate, a lazy way to get information, and one more thing to keep me sitting on my rear instead of getting things done. Well, I recently had a change of heart when I discovered the whole blog phenomena. For some reason, I really enjoy reading blogs (I have a bunch that I check almost daily.) Do other people do this? Am I becoming a blog geek? I also use email lots more than in the past and even do the whole Facebook thing too. I know I'm 10+ years behind most other people, but I really just didn't have a desire to be in the computer world. Anyway, I've been unable to access the Internet lately, and I've been going nutso!! I am totally hooked. Lucky for me, here I am, back in this new world and pleased as punch.
In other news, I'm headed to Vegas this Friday with some girlfriends to celebrate turning 30!! I'm thrilled and about to explode with excitement. We'll be returning next Wednesday. I'll be sure to post some pictures and highlights of the trip. Thanks, Joy, for planning everything for us. You're super duper!

Willow Springs

Willow Springs Park has been our home away from home lately. It was a beautiful day Wednesday, so we enjoyed a picnic lunch and some playtime instead of our usual Backyard Burgers day.

Caroline has a Checkup

Caroline had her 9 month check up last week. Thankfully, she didn't have to get any vaccines. She did, however, have some blood drawn to do some routine tests. I was nervous for her, because they did it big girl style, through her arm. As I watched them tie off her arm with that awful rubber band, I thought "Oh man, she's gonna lose it now." They even had an extra nurse come in to hold her down. I turned my head and waited for the wail. Things seemed to be taking a while, so I looked down to see what the hold up was. I was shocked to discover that the needle was already in. She was calmly observing it all. She even thought nothing of the needle stuck in her arm for a good 20 seconds. No tears. Not even a whimper. What a champ! I, on the other hand, got a little woosy when I saw that big needle in her arm. Afterward, she had fun picking at her band-aid. I know these were her thoughts. "What's that?" "Hmm, I wonder if it'll come off." "Ouch, that kinda pulls." "Oh look, I got it." "Ooo, what a pretty red dot on it."

A Team of Our Own

Sometimes we joke, emphasis on the word "joke," that we'll keep having kids until we have enough for our own baseball team. Tonight we got in some practice time for the Bader team.

Best Day Ever

Here's to one of the best days ever. I have no pictures to show for it, but here is a summary. Typically, Tuesdays are great simply because I have NOTHING on my schedule. No ballet, no laundry, no preschool for Luke (hence, no driving), no shopping, no church, and nothing for Ryan in the evening (dinner as a family). I generally thoroughly enjoy Tuesdays. However, today was special. It must be known that I love to mow the yard. The combo of being outside on a beautiful day (alone, because the kids might get hurt), the smell of freshly cut grass, sitting (we have a riding mower), looking around the neighborhood, feeling the warm breeze, and being productive really makes me content. Today, I got to mow for the first time since last fall. I've been looking forward to it, honestly, since last fall. And today was perfect for it. The weather was warm and breezy, and the sky was bright blue with cotton ball clouds. This started my day off right. After mowing, I brought Caroline out to sit on a blanket and watch me work in the flowers (another one of my favorites). She sat forever, completely entertained with picking grass, examining it in her tiny fingers, tasting it, spitting it out, then doing it all over again. Luke was completely happy swinging, digging for worms, laughing at Caroline eating grass, jumping on the trampoline, creating a zoo with his toys, and just being a boy. Then, my neighbor who has been in Florida since January (nice to be retired) came over to catch up. I really enjoy spending time with her. She's a fresh breath of wit, encouragement, and wisdom. We ate lunch outside on our picnic table then went for a walk with the stroller. After this, we all took a nice nap (could it get any better?) until time to get Anna off the bus. Then we enjoyed planting some more flowers, riding in the wagon, and a lovely dinner. When Ryan got home from Little League practice (no family dinner was the one drawback), I greeted him with "We have had the best day ever." We finished the day off with some nice showers and an episode of "Just for Laughs." I couldn't possibly be as thankful as I ought to be for such a fabulous day.

Easter at Gran's

Easter Sunday has become one of my favorite days of the year. Sometimes, driving to church is less than picture perfect. Frustration over rushing the kids out the door, cries of anger between siblings, breakfast & makeup in the car can add up to a stressful journey. But not on Easter Sunday. As we drive to church on Easter, I am confident in our purpose. And the stresses of the morning seem to pale in comparison to what we are about to experience. Our Lord is risen! What a wonderful reason to celebrate, and what wonderful people surround us and join in the celebration. Truly, this is what our faith is all about. This is why we endure such mornings. To sing alongside my family for our Lord who has conquered the grave - what greater pleasure do we have as a family?
It's become our tradition to spend Easter Sunday at Gran's (Ryan's mom) after church. There's always a wonderful home-cooked meal, some egg hunting (of course), and some nap taking. Funny - that's exactly what we do at my grandparents' house the day before Easter. Maybe next year we'll get really creative and do something different. (Probably not due to our "do it once, do it always" mentality.) Uncle Brad spent some time reading to the kids, and Uncle Ross got teary over how well Anna read a book to him. She really does seem grown up when she's reading aloud. We get that "We're so proud" mixed with "We're bummed she's big enough to be doing this" feeling that we seem to get at least once a day now. PawPaw (Ryan's dad) and Ryan enjoyed some March Madness, and the kids & Gran played Monopoly for the first time. We don't typically color coordinate, but we were all in yellow for the occasion. Caroline wore a super sweet bunny dress courtesy of Emily Helphinstine. Anna and Luke got some yellow to match. What a great day, complete with a great photo of all three kids. To get them to sit out in the 40 degree weather right before bedtime and smile their best fake smiles only took a sugary bribe. Thanks for the treats Gran!

Easter in Jonesborough

We spent this past Saturday (the day before Easter) at my grandparents' in Jonesborough. My sister, Sharon, and I cooked a few dishes, but my grandmother did the rest. My mom came up for the weekend which was nice too. The kids had fun hunting eggs with their cousin, Kassidy. We got some nice shots of them on Mammaw and Pappaw's white fence with their horse, Levi, in the background. It was a beautiful, windy day. My favorite part was the nice long nap everyone took after everything was said and done. I've always loved napping at Mammaw and Pappaw's house.

Lightning Spring Training

It's that time of year again. This is Ryan's eleventh year coaching little league baseball in Johnson City. This year's team is looking pretty strong, so we're looking forward to a good season. We've grown to really enjoy our time at the ball field each spring. It's fun watching the boys play and spending time with their families. Anna and Luke love playing at the field and hanging out with the team. Pretty soon, Caroline will be joining in the fun too.

If we build it, they will play.

This past Christmas, Ryan's mom, aunt, and grandmother all chipped in for a swing set for the kids. The work began when it arrived a few weeks ago. Ryan, his dad, and an unsuspecting youth from church put a lot of hours into its construction. After several days of tilling, mulching, ordering a slide without a crack in it, hammering, and screwing countless pieces together, we have a very nice set for the kids. I (Beth) was admittedly not that thrilled at first. I had visions of the dog chewing it to bits and digging up every inch of the ground cover and mulch (which she's already discovered is loads of fun.) However, the final result has already provided hours of fun and exercise for us all. Their great big grins say it all. Anna, Luke, and Caroline would like to send out a great big thank you to those who helped by providing $$$, time, and energy!!

Early Easter

I know it's not Easter yet, but everyone looked so cute last Sunday before church, so I set up our own little photography studio in our bedroom. Anna and Caroline loved having their pictures taken for spring. Luke, however, was not interested, and I only got two shots of him, both of which are not that great. He was pretty miserable, so I let him go change (we only make him wear collared shirts for pictures and weddings) and I had fun taking more shots of the girls.

Last game of the season

For the last several years, we've enjoyed season tickets to the ETSU men's basketball games, courtesy of Ryan's dad. It makes for a good date night or a fun night for the whole family. Sometimes, they provide inflatable games for the kids which is a big hit. At this last game of the season, Anna found some friends from school and sat with them. She definitely seemed a little older as we watched her sitting with her buds.

Getting a head start

We went down to our neighbor's the other day to have our first Easter egg hunt of the season. Anna is wearing an apron because she was taking a break from pretending to be a waitress. Caroline was our audience from the stroller. We're pretty serious about our egg hunting. At my (Beth's) grandparents in Jonesborough, we hunt eggs all year round. Anna & Luke love it, and so do I. We made a bunch of paper eggs last Saturday, and I told the kids a sad third child story from when I was young. Because my sisters were older than I and grew out of egg hunting before I did, I would hide eggs for myself around our house. Then, I'd wait a while (long enough to forget where I'd hidden them) and then go hunt them. Pretty sad.

She can stand!

So Caroline needs to hold on to something, but still, she can stand! She actually can stand unassisted for about 4 seconds, but I'm not quick enough to get a picture of that.

Caroline has Friends

Caroline has a couple of good friends to hang out with occasionally. The cute little guy is Gabe, son of our friends Andrew and Joy from Jacksonville, Florida. The pretty little gal whose sock Caroline is interested in is Grace, daughter of friends Rachel and Donnie. Caroline may seem too little to enjoy play dates, but she actually loves watching other babies and kids.

Sitting in the Big Tub

Caroline's first time sitting up in the big tub wasn't the big soppy mess I thought it would be. She did have fun splashing a little, but for the most part, she was very subdued. She had the sweetest little look on her face as she watched her feet move in the water. Her chub is absolutely adorable when she's in her birthday suit, and THOSE CHEEKS just get cuter every day.

Totaled

So Ryan calls me one Wednesday evening after church and says "Hey, it's me. I just wrecked the car." He reassured me he was fine but went on to explain that not only had he wrecked the car, but he had actually slid over a small cliff and rolled several times. He had just taken one of the youth group kids home in the Watauga community (bad news), and the roads were very slick from some rain. As he went around a curve, he began to slide and kept on sliding and rolling until he came to rest on a horse farm. We still can't really believe he didn't receive ANY injuries. We're thanking God for that and the fact that we got a much nicer replacement car out of the deal. A big thank you goes out to my brother in law, Mark, who found us a great car.