The Hand Clan

Slaves of the Master

2011-03-25T04:02:00.002-04:00

Book Review: Slave-The Hidden Truth About Your Identity In Christ
by John MacArthur

The background to this book is a translation issue and the implications in a Christian’s life based upon their understanding of their relationship to Christ. The Greek word doulos literally means “slave”. This is how I learned it in my two semesters of New Testament Greek. I remember translating sentences my professor had created for practice and over and over we would be translating ‘o doulos- “the slave”. It seemed to me at the time that we were practicing this word a lot for the relatively few times that the New Testament references slaves. What I came to learn, what MacArthur points out in his book, is that doulos is often translated as “servant” rather than “slave” (see Romans 1:1 and James 1:1 as easy to locate examples).

MacArthur discusses the reasoning behind this translation choice, essentially reasoning that it is in order not to offend our modern sensibilities. Personally, I think it is a complex issue. Mention the word slavery and Western minds will automatically think of American/British chattel slavery. In fact, you have probably heard an atheist/agnostic attack the Bible, claiming it supports slavery. Their reference point when doing so is American/British chattel slavery. But, as MacArthur points out, this is not the reference point of doulos. MacArthur explains the differences between the modern concept of slavery and slavery of the Greco-Roman world. Without idealizing slavery (it is still slavery) MacArthur says that slaves of this time could find considerable standing (serving as doctors or teachers), even respect and honor based upon who their master was. If they had a benevolent master they, in many cases, would even enjoy a more enviable lifestyle than the free poor.

What significance does this have to my relationship with Christ? Well, if I am merely Christ’s servant then I have chosen to hire myself out to him. If I don’t like the work or the wages I can choose to hire myself out to another master. However if I am a doulos (slave) then I am not my own, for I was bought at a price (1 Cor 6:19-20), that price being the precious blood of Christ Jesus himself! In this economy Christ has chosen me, I am His, He sets the work before me and I have no choice but to do it, after all, I belong to Him.
Two final points are worth consideration: First, we may think ourselves to be free, but the clear teaching of Scripture is that we are born slaves to sin (Romans 6:17). However, through the shed blood of Christ we have been set free from slavery to sin, whose wage is death, in order to become slaves to righteousness, the wages being eternal life (Romans 6:18)! Second, no master could be more benevolent than Christ. In the Greco-Roman system of slavery a slave might enjoy considerable prestige based upon his masters standing in society. For Christians, our master is the King of king and Lord of lords. The glorious doctrine of adoption shows us that though we are slaves we become sons, sons whom Jesus is not ashamed to call brothers (Hebrews 2:1).

This book is worth a read (or a listen) and will challenge your commitment to your master. Personally, I listened to the book narrated by MacArthur. The audio book is available from christianaudio.com

I received this book free from christianaudio.com through the christianaudio Reviewers program.

Blogging takes a hit

2010-11-11T11:37:00.007-05:00

I thought that I had completely lost all blog-fans with my terrible posting streak. It's feast or famine folks. We have a very full plate, and blogging often suffers. Something has to. So, if you're a faithful checker-in, kudos to you. We're still alive and kicking. God is good. David keeps me busy in addition to me working full-time. And, Brian is still busy going to school and working. He graduates in . . . drum roll please . . . 36 days! We're so proud of him. He will then start working full-time at church, which he (really we) LOVES.

There are 11 new posts below. Pace yourself. You don't have to read them all at once. You might want to brew some coffee first, or tea, or hot chocolate, or whatever you like to drink while reading.

So, thanks for persevering for more than 4 long months. Hopefully, it won't be so long next time.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-11T11:15:00.007-05:00

We didn't want David to feel jipped or feel un-American for not having photos with pumpkins :). So, we headed to a cute little farm that we like around here, Taborah Farms. And, as you can see, David didn't catch on to the whole pose-with-the-pumpkin-David. He eventually did, but not at first. It takes a little while to realize the amazingness of those large orange balls with brown stems. It was a beautiful fall morning, and I'm glad we could get some fun family shots.

Peace Valley Park

2010-11-11T11:12:00.003-05:00

I'm sure I've posted about Peace Valley Park many times before on here. We love it there. Can you see why from the pictures? It's gorgeous and peaceful (maybe, hence the name). It's perfect for walking or biking with it's 5 mile path around the lake. I think David enjoys it too. We had to take advantage of a fun fall Saturday afternoon. Maybe we'll need to invest in a bike seat for David :)

First haircut

2010-11-11T11:01:00.005-05:00

Brian has a particular dislike for hair touching ears (on boys), so it was most obvious that David needed a few hairs snipped. His hair is a unique thing -- full on top and thin on the sides. So, the top is what really got the cut. Here is the scene: David sits in his bumbo seat (aka, the hair cutting seat) while playing with a coveted keychain (to distract him). Brian holds David head still (looks more like wrestling). And, I begin trying to cut his hair without clipping his ear off. It was a challenge. Thankfully, we all remained unscathed and David's haircut wasn't too bad. And, ironically once the haircut finished, fireworks started going off outside (who knows why?). It was monumental

Here is a "before" photo:

Mom's 60th Birthday!

2010-11-11T10:55:00.005-05:00

September is a birthday-full month for us! And, this year happened to be milestone birthdays for my sister and mom! My mom was especially deserving of a special birthday party. She couldn't remember the last one she had. We did it big folks . . . at a fun restaurant with lots of family and friends. (The cake is from Dingledein's Bakery if you're wondering -- out.of.this.world!). My bro and his family came up from Virginia, and we also had family in from Seattle and Canada! The highlight of the night though was sharing and hearing others share about how amazing my mom is and how many lives she has touched. It's quite remarkable. Did you know she has 3 masters degrees and a doctorate (MD and DO). She's quite accomplished!

Here are some fun pics from the evening . . .

Mom and Pop-Pop (her dad :)
Girlfriends
Family

David's first Phillies Game!

2010-11-11T10:51:00.005-05:00

We love, love, love the Phillies! And, we love going to Citizens Bank Park. And, we can now say that David LOVES going to Phillies games too. David of course was outfitted in all Phillies gear, down to his sock and pacifier (thanks Uncle Mike and Aunt Jenna!). Fans around us continually talked with David, and he gave out tons of smiles and shreaks. I was shocked at how well David did sitting on our laps . . for all 3.5 hours.

David got a special certificate from the ballpark to commemorate his first game. And, we of course snapped many photos!!!

Joy's Sweet 16

2010-11-10T16:05:00.009-05:00

Joy's Sweet 16 was a blowout. Per Joy's one birthday request, there was a moon bounce. There was also a DJ, a dance area, volleyball, a tent, and lots of family and friends. Kim did a great job planning, and I enjoyed helping! We had a blast, and Joy definitely enjoyed herself. We tried to keep it a surprise, but there were numerous "spoiling the surprise" moments . . . that we just had to roll with.

I cannot believe Joy is 16! (I feel so old). It's hard to not use joy when describing Joy, but she truly is joyful. She's has become a best friend to me. With 14 years difference, I don't know that I could say that about many people. I remember driving Joy around when she was just 2 years old. I remember drawing on the driveway with chalk together. I must confess Joy was VERY patient with me always playing with her Pantene-ProV hair. I loved caring for Joy and being her big sister. And, I love how she now helps care for me . . . comforting me during some very painful pregnancy issues last year, helping me with David ALL THE TIME, and just being a great friend to chat with with.

I could go on . . . but, here are some party pics :)

Arriving . . .

Surprise(ish) . . .
Milling around . . .
Volleyball
Joy and Mom (Kim)
Dad and Joy
Joy and Megan (BFF)
Me and Joy

Random pics

2010-11-10T16:03:00.003-05:00

Here are some random pics from the summer that I can't resist posting :)

Happy boy . . . playing
David's first AAA baseball game: The Iron Pigs (in Allentown)
Fun with GG and Poppy
Sleepy boy
Excited for lunch . . . bright eyes

Vacation . . . where else but OBX

2010-11-10T15:35:00.009-05:00

You should know by now, OBX is where we vacation :). (Our "OBX Clan" is pictured). We know the back roads, we know the shops that are worth shopping at, we know where you shouldn't go mini-golfing, we know where to go running in neighborhoods. We just love it there. It's becoming a home away from home. Oh, and did I mention that it's super affordable when you go with a few families?!! I could go on and on . . . but, I will spare you.

David definitely added a new aspect to vacation -- super fun and entertaining, but also more work than your pre-baby mind had ever anticipated. I still got up at 6am every day to feed David so that he would continue to take his 2 long naps which we worked around for beach and pool time. For us, that worked well. I would then take a nap at our pool (alone) while David napped.

David wasn't so sure about the ocean, but he did like both pools -- the baby pool we blew up on the beach (and filled with a little ocean water) and the pool at our house. My beach time was not particularly relaxing, but it was still wonderful. Brian and I both blessed each other with a non-David day to feel like we really had a break, and those days were wonderful for both of us! Brian and I also enjoyed our date night immensely -- ice cream, shopping, and watching the sunset!

I think I shed some of my last pregnancy pounds here running every day with Joy and Megan. I enjoyed that!

Here are *some* vacation pictures, . . . we probably took about 200.

David drove most of the way . . . and kept threatening to pull the car over if Brian and I didn't keep it down in the back.
Us on Jockey's Ridge
My bro's fam
My dad and step-mom :)
Our favorite girls: Joy (my sis) and Megan!
Loving the view from Daddy's shoulders
Fun in the pool
Like royalty . . . shaded and all
Beach time
My favorite pic of Bri from vacation

A family vehicle

2010-11-10T15:24:00.007-05:00

We had a few reasons to purchase a new family vehicle:

- Brian's Saab had been driven into the ground with his long school commute, and it was a matter of months (or weeks . . . or days) until it decided to kick-the-can.

- Remembering how stuffed we were in the car last year heading for vacation (we did have 2 other adults in the car with us which I'm sure contributed) and how sardine-like we were in the car. (Won't you do anything for vacation??!!! Like have 4 bags at your feet and 2 on your lap for a 7-hour car ride?)

- We came to the realization that we will have quite a bit of baby gear in the car, and we did. And, we don't plan on only having one child (Lord willing).

- And, we found a GREAT deal at CarSense (which happens to be 2 miles from our house) on a black Kia Borrego . . . that I think had our name written on it :).

We love it!

Thank you to my sister who took this typical American shot of us with our new car and first child :)

Backyard Fun

2010-11-10T15:21:00.005-05:00

We just had to get a little swing for our tree out back. After all, Nana and Pop-O already had one for David at their house! We enjoyed it a few times this summer, and we also enjoyed the little ($4) baby pool that I purchased. David loves playing with water and loves his little squirty bath toys even more. And, Daddy loved making funny hairdo's with David's wet head :)

4th of July

2010-11-10T15:19:00.004-05:00

We had a great time with family on the 4th! John, Robin, and their 4 cute kiddos were in town. We enjoyed lunch together. Then, in the evening we enjoyed fireworks at Skippack Park with my Dad and Kim. David slept through the fireworks (if that's possible!!!)

Strasburg Railroad

2010-07-30T20:53:00.005-04:00

When my brother and his family came up to PA for a visit, my mom scheduled for all of us to have lunch aboard a steam train. My little nephew Caleb is pretty much enthralled with all modes of transportation, and loves trains. We all met at Strasburg Railroad in Lancaster and had such a fun afternoon together. It was busy with 5 little ones, but it was great to be together. Lunch on a moving train is a little challenging, but looking out over the hills of Amish country is always beautiful. Oh, and afterward we couldn't resist getting some old-timey pictures done!

My bro and his fam! Too cute!
All of us :)
David & Daddy on the train
Me and my Mom :)
Caleb & Ansley . . . big kids, at their own table.
John, Jacob, Robin, (and Charlotte behind her)
The steam train
Me and my neice Charlotte (2 months older than David)
Brian juggling the little ones
Cousins :) . . . David sure loves the camera!

Krissy's baby shower

2010-07-30T14:18:00.006-04:00

(I'm still catching up on June folks . . .) My BFF Krissy is expecting her second baby one year after her first, almost to the day. This time she's having a little boy. We wanted to shower her with some boy things and some extra baby supplies. She will have her hands FULL in a few weeks. It's been fun for us to be moms together even though she's a few hours away. First time moms always have lots of questions and stories to share. I love you Kris and we can't wait to meet your little boy!! (Our 3rd BFF, Tamara is on the left!)

Here are some pictures . . .
Katie munching on veggies . . . good girl!
Some of us ladies
So cute!

Summer Youth Basketball

2010-07-30T13:57:00.005-04:00

This is the second year that Brian organized youth basketball at our church for grades 3rd-8th. It's on Thursday nights all summer. Kids from our church and community come out to learn basketball skills, hear a lesson about God, and have a fun time making new friends. I (Mary) work the registration table with David. David always brings a smile to the kids' faces -- I love that!

Here are some pictures from this summer so far . . .
Lots of cheering! (Parents like to watch)
Brian the referee

This is what happens when others take the camera . . . lots of photos of David
Aunt Joy and DavidMegan and David
Aunt Jenna & David
Showing off for the girls

First Bee Sting

2010-07-30T13:51:00.003-04:00

David and Daddy were watching soccer on TV one afternoon in June. David was happily drinking his bottle on Daddy's lap, and Mommy was working upstairs in her office. David starts screaming and Daddy sees a huge wasp on him. Daddy then gets stung on his hand also (vicious wasp). Mommy comes down wondering what happened. Daddy conquers the wasp and reminds David, "Daddy always wins." Daddy catches his breath and is ready to move on. Mommy and Daddy watch for possible swelling that never comes -- hallelujah!

GG & Pappy come for the summer!

2010-07-17T22:27:00.005-04:00

We are all so happy to have GG & Pappy up here from Florida for the summer! David has so enjoyed his time with them! Here are some pictures to prove it!!! (GG has long-awaited photos with her first grandchild!!!)

Starring up at GG

Delicious Rice Cereal.

2010-07-17T17:01:00.003-04:00

That's what David thinks at least. He began rice cereal on June 18th. David was SOOOO ready, and he gobbled down each bite. He began shaking with excitement at one point. Since then, we've introduced various other foods, none of which he doesn't joyfully gobble up.

Here's my very first video on our blog. (I know, I'm behind the times). Let me know if it doesn't load right.

My new job

2010-07-17T16:06:00.004-04:00

Right out of college, I had the opportunity to work for David (to my right) & Cindy (to my left) for 4 years. And, I'm actually working for them again now. They sold their court reporting company in Philly and moved to South Carolina where they started EveryWord Inc., another court reporting company. At Christmas, while Cindy was in town she came to visit us (and more importantly see little David). She was sharing with us how they would need help with their new company, and that I might be able to work for them, working from home. All the details slowly fleshed out over the next few months, and in mid-June I had training down at their home in SC. It was so great to see them, and we definitely got a lot accomplished. (I missed Brian and David and was so excited to come home to them, but my trip was really nice and productive).

Since getting home, I've been working full-time from home, and I LOVE it! I was worried about being motivated and balancing home life and work, but it's been a pretty good transition. I am so motivated to work hard, and I love working each day. I must say it is wonderful to have Brian home all summer watching David. I love eating lunch together.

So, you're probably wondering what I actually do. I promote a special niche of court reporting called CART, Communication Access Realtime Translation. CART is most commonly a service for deaf and hard of hearing, but also helpful for individuals learning English as a second language or individuals who are physically unable to take notes. It is most often offered in academic settings, but also corporate settings. A court reporter provides CART services for the individual by transcribing the spoken words (via a steno machine) into text, word-for-word in real time. The recipient views the text on their laptop or projection screen. Not only does this aid incredibly with class participation, CART also produces a transcript (basically word-for-word notes) that the individual/student can highlight, do searches in, and write comments . . . and then take with them in order to reference or study from later. CART services have really been a tremendous asset to deaf and hard-of-hearing, and it can now be done remotely. EveryWord offers on-site and remote CART, and my job is to promote it -- connecting the CART providers with the individuals who need it. Check out our website for more details: www.EveryWordInc.com

Here are some pictures from my trip down to SC, mostly of David & Cindy's home. It was a very nice place to visit.

Preppy-Mc.Prepster

2010-07-17T15:59:00.006-04:00

Yup, he sported the popped-collar (thanks Daddy) for church one morning. I think he looks ready for Harvard. (Thanks Amy Claire for the cute shoes!)

We told him to look away from the camera to do his serious pose. He worked it pretty well.

He really can't help smiling!

6 months old

2010-07-17T15:49:00.003-04:00

6 months came faster than we thought! David is now starting to sit up, beginning to hold his own bottle, loves to hear himself jibber-jabber, smiles tons, rolls around with his toys, and has dropped down to 3 naps a day. We love you little guy and are so proud of you!

David, meet the pool. Pool, meet David.

2010-07-10T12:04:00.010-04:00

Brian introduced David to the pool for the first time at our youth initiation night. I think he liked it. I sure hope he likes it, . . . because we're beach and pool people, not mountains people.

The fam, pre-pool experience.

First, dangle the legs in

Ooo, touching the water.

Before you knew it, David was jumping in

David liked his new hairdo especially, but the pool was cool too

It's prom time!

2010-07-10T11:32:00.007-04:00

Joy went to prom this year with a friend from our church. It was a treat for me to do her hair. I must say it had been a while since I did an up-do, but it was so fun! And, boy did Joy look nice!!!! As you can tell, we had fun taking photos of her and her friends!! Joy's BFF (Megan) went too, so we couldn't help ourselves clicking away!

Joy & Megan -- BFFs
Joy & Nick
David LOVES these two!
Nick & Joy
Dad, Joy & Kim :)
The line up
I just couldn't resist. It looked so nice :)
Very cool girls
Blowing kisses
All the couples.
Tuckered. Out.

Meridith, our soccer pro

2010-07-10T11:21:00.004-04:00

David enjoyed his first soccer game getting to watch ("Aunt") Mer. Meridith was like a sister to Brian growing up -- the Crowell family was an extension of Brian's family. And, Mer has a special place in our heart! We're can't believe she'll be graduating college soon . . . man, we are old! Anyways, we enjoyed getting to attend a game . . . as well as the beautiful evening and other fans. (Mer, we wish we could have come to more!!!)

Mer, working it

Gorgeous field

David eating up the attention from Kim (Mrs. Crowell)

Ocean City, NJ

2010-07-10T10:59:00.005-04:00

It was well worth all jamming baby gear into the car for our weekend away down in OC! Just being away from home can be so refreshing. (There is always stuff to do at home). We're so grateful to have family friends who let us rent their condo for a weekend each year. We love it!

We didn't have any rain, but it was too chilly for enjoying the sand and waves. We opted to walk the boards (and David decided to sleep mostly). I'll let the pictures show our adventures . . .

Starting off the weekend with Mallon's sticky buns . . .
Brian likes nuts and raisins . . . I prefer without
Take me to the beach
View from the balcony . . . 1 block away
Our little crew
Lunch at Mack & Manco's (pizza) - yum!!
Back at the house, playing
Smiles for Daddy
Bath time
Snuggled and all clean with Daddy

Joy . . . unfettered drama queen

2010-07-10T10:38:00.004-04:00

Joy is growing up so fast! I remember when she was David's size.

Well, Joy had lots going on in May . . . her braces came off (hence, unfettered) and she was in numerous drama productions. We had a chance to attend one or two. We're so proud of you Joy! You're beautiful on the inside and out! And, you're so talented . . . and using your talent for God's glory!

On stage

All the drama peeps

David was giving "shout-outs" to Aunt Joy all during the performance! He loved it!

Sisters :)

Catching up

2010-05-18T21:28:00.003-04:00

When life gets busy . . . the blog gets back-burnered . . . 9 posts below . . . trying to catch up a little. Thanks for being a faithful checker-inner . . .

David is overwhelmed thinking about all the reading below . . .

Mother's Day

2010-05-18T21:13:00.009-04:00

It's an honor to be a mother. I truly believe that. It's an honor to be parents. God has graciously blessed us with a happy and healthy boy that we don't deserve. I am so very thankful. This is just the beginning of the fun and wild and demanding journey of motherhood :) . . .

I cannot complete this post without also mentioning that Brian preached 3 sermons at church on Mother's Day also. To God be the glory! And, little David turned 5 months on Mother's Day also. A big day all around. A day to celebrate!

Oh, and one more thing . . . a big thank you to my Mom, Step-Mom, and covenant moms!!! You truly bless me, each in your own ways!!!!

Laughing together . . .
Brian (and David) outdid themselves!!!!
From Bri
From David
Dad & Joy laboring over our lunch -- thank you!
4 Generations on Mother's Day

David's Baptism

2010-05-18T20:58:00.008-04:00

Welcoming your son into the covenant family . . . is simply incredible. We were brimming with joy celebrating David's baptism. We pray every day for his heart: that he would see his need for Jesus at an early age and grow in godly wisdom . . . and that we would be godly parents. We were honored to celebrate with so much family and friends.

(If this blog had sound, this picture would have lots of screaming . . . )
The incredible cake my mom brought from Harrisburg! Yum!
Fun time with Nanny-D!
Aww. Precious!
3 Generations . . . (I was taking the photo, . . . so consider it 4 :)

Bouncing on Pop-O's knee

2010-05-18T20:53:00.003-04:00

David had an extra special visit one Friday with not only Nana, but also Pop-O . . . to play the morning away with him. He ate up ALL the attention. Here are two precious pictures! Thanks for coming over! I love you both!

Don't mind David about to eat his caterpillar.

For my Mom . . .

2010-05-18T20:43:00.007-04:00

My mom blessed me in the fall of '08 with a purchase of 80 bulbs. I planted them all, awaiting spring. I failed to snap many picture last spring, and they were more brilliant this year. She LOVES flowers, and she doesn't have much time to plant flowers, . . . so I am happy to plant some and take pictures of them for her. Here are a few mom . . . Thank you!

Turning 30

2010-05-18T20:27:00.008-04:00

Brian has been teasing me for . . . well, since forever I think about turning 30, beings that I'm almost 2 years older than him. Stinker! Well, it finally came (and went). I have no shame about being 30. I definitely don't feel it, at least mentally. Sometimes my body feels about 80 :).

I'm very thankful for my 30 years. God has been very gracious to me, granting joy and strength even when the road ahead has seemed long and hard. He walks with us. I'm happy to have a wonderful husband, little boy, family, friends, church, . . . I enjoyed various birthday celebrations, and thank everyone for their love and support over the years!The incredible Master's Baker cake that Kim drove very far for! Yum!
Me, Joy & Kim
added by Dad and Tucker (the dog)
BFFs . . . Tamara & Krissy . . . at the Cheesecake Factory

Jenna's 25th

2010-05-18T20:15:00.011-04:00

Jenna had a family shin-dig for her 25th at the Marriott hotel. We had a fun time together . . . and Jenna was pleased as punch to get lots of Tinkerbell stuff! She's a Disney-finatic!

The girls: Me, Jenna, Mer, Krista, Julie
Us
Mike & Jenna
Grandpop & David

While Mommy was weeding . . .

2010-05-18T20:05:00.005-04:00

Daddy and I played in the yard together . . . I always where my shades outside, otherwise I won't open my eyes. Mr. Sensitive!

Grammy Pammy & Granddaddy Steve

2010-05-18T19:55:00.006-04:00

Pam & Steve are our covenant parents and therefore David's covenant grandparents :)! They have blessed Brian and I immeasurably: mentors, college and career leaders at church, our pre-marital counselors, career mentors, financial counselors, . . . found us the house we rent, . . . pretty much you name it! They joined us for dinner a few weeks back, and it was such a blessing to catch up with them. And, boy did David love their visit -- all smiles!!

More from Easter

2010-05-18T19:31:00.007-04:00

Here are some additional pictures from our family time on Easter. We missed seeing a few family members, but it was still wonderful . . . celebrating our Savior's resurrection! Praise God for victory over the grave!

Look at me in my Easter duds!
Hanging with Pop-O
Thankful for Aunt Joy!
Standing up like a big boy :)

HAPPY EASTER

2010-04-04T17:46:00.007-04:00

Happy Easter to everyone. Had a great time with some family at our house for dinner. Ham, pineapple stuffing, sweet potato casserole, and asparagus.

David has been discovering that he has vocal chords that he can actually control, and he sure does love to hear himself chat. He really tried to dominate the conversation at dinner tonight, perhaps we need to have a little chat about table manners and interrupting adults.

In other big news I organized a group from our church to go to a 76ers game. I have never had a more frustrating experience with any organization I have ever dealt with but in the end it all worked out. The reason for even including this is that David came to the game with Mary and I (his first professional sports event) and he and I made an appearance on TV together; close up of just us standing court side! Way fun, and will be a good story to tell him a few years from now.

Enjoy the pics.

I love reading!

2010-03-22T16:43:00.003-04:00

We mentioned David takes after his daddy in several ways. Another of those ways is his love of reading. I have many many books on many different subjects. In fact I am always telling Mary that we need more book shelves. It seems David may be competing with me for who will get the book shelves. It has taken me 28 years to collect roughly 1100 books. David is up to about 100 or so in only 3 months!! I think the Jesus Story Book Bible is his favorite so far. But he enjoys lots of different genres including some of what I am reading for school. It may be a little advanced but he enjoys the challenge enough to stop fussing for a while.

Here his is reading with Nana

Surprise for Mommy

2010-03-22T16:36:00.004-04:00

David and I had some fun this week while I was on Spring break. One day included a trip to the grocery store and we thought it would be nice on a beautiful Spring day to get mommy some flowers

Mommy loves tulips

Daddy gave David a lesson on cutting flowers and making sure they have enough water. But what are flowers with out a note? David then got a lesson on the power of the pen (or marker in this case).

His handwriting could use a little work, but who knows if his generation will actually write anything?

4 Generations of Hand men

2010-03-22T16:21:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we celebrated my grandfather's birthday with lots of family. Due to some illness and distance this was the first time David met his great-grandfather.

Many years ago (1985) there was a photo taken of 4 generations of Hand men. It was the first photo ever taken of this sort in our family. My great-grandfather was born in 1899 and his dad was nearly 60 at the time, he died when my great-grandfather was about 12-13 years old. My great-grandfather passed away in the early 90's and so this was the first opportunity to capture a new 4 generation photo. I hope we have many more opportunities to do so with an expanding 4th generation (hint hint Mike and Jenna)

I have had some fun with a sociology project this semester in retracing some family history. Many amazing stories and very interesting lives. My grandfather's sister wrote down her memories form childhood about relatives, about 40 pages single spaced. What a treasure that was for me to read and now have a copy of. I would highly recommend doing something like this for future generations.

Here are the photos
(1985)

(2010)

A man of many hats...

2010-03-22T16:02:00.008-04:00

David is taking after his daddy in several ways. One of those ways is that like his daddy, he is a man of many hats.

Is he a nature lover?

An Arctic adventurer?

A fashion trend setter? (I'm sure you have seen lots of guys with winter hats and no shirt recently)

A Ball player? (Watched his first Phillies game, a win over the Yankees)

Average Joe? (having fun with dad's hat)

Or just a cute baby? (Fun beach hat)

Well what ever hat he decides to wear, he has some time to choose and many more hats to try on.

March update

2010-03-22T15:36:00.004-04:00

Brian here with an update on March-

Life continues to be busy around here between Mary working...and searching for new work and my school and internship at the church, and then there is that little guy that has entered out life.

I am in my last semester of classes before I student teach next fall. Hallelujah!! It sure has been a long road and though I am thankful for it, I can't say I will be sad to see it come to an end.

The internship is going well. I have gotten my hand into a lot of different ministries:
With the help of 7 other guys we have started a men's ministry at our church. I have spent much time researching men's ministries form across the country and have found it to be one of if not the hardest ministries to maintain while at the same time being one of the most important. Many churches have an idea of making men into workers in the church and then pray that at some point they will become disciples. Not only does this lead to burnout, it is unbiblical. Jesus says to make disciples (Matt 28:19) and pray for workers (Matt 9:38). I'll spare you the rest but that is at least something to think about.

The other big portion of my work at the church is youth work. I have been teaching 11th and 12th grade Sunday school this year. I just spent the last 6 months teaching the Westminster Confession, awesome material, but difficult to relate to teenagers how a 400 year old document is relevant to their everyday life.

This will be the second year that we have done youth Sunday a our church (same day as Mother's Day) all the youth serve in just about every aspect of the worship services (ushers, greeters, nursery, music, etc). My part this year will be to preach in all 3 services! This is a great honor and a huge task. I have preached at small chapels, retirement communities, and a rescue mission before, but not my home church, it's an exciting opportunity. The text will be Proverbs 31:1, 25-31- Outline headings: The glory of womanhood, A mother and her children, A wife and her husband, and the gospel in Proverbs. I don't actually have any experience being a woman, a wife, or a mother...but I have known a few, so we will see how this pans out.

Krissy and Katie

2010-02-26T13:05:00.007-05:00

Folks, the blog thing has been hard to get to lately, as you can see! Sorry for you faithful blog-checkers. Work and school schedules make it difficult to find the time. So, I'm catching up with . . . 7 posts!
Last weekend, David and I had a fun time visiting with Krissy and Katie (and Steve). Krissy is a BFF, and it's so fun to be mammas together. Katie is 4 months older than David, and . . . Krissy is expecting another little one just 2 weeks after Katie's first birthday! How exciting!

David had fun with Krissy. He apologies for all the spit up . . .

The smiley kiddos :) . . . first play date . . . hmm, I guess

Mom, what are you doing? Why is that black thing in front of your face?!!

Happy boy, happy mama!

Special time with Nana

2010-02-26T13:03:00.001-05:00

David gets to spend special time with Nana on M/W/F mornings, and he loves it! I work from home those times while Brian is at school. Nana comes to play with David while he's not napping or feeding. He loves to great Nana with big smiles when she walks in. And, Aunt Joy joined Nana on a day off from school. David was in heaven!

While Mommy's at work . . .

2010-02-26T12:52:00.010-05:00

David: "Dad, I think we should do something fun while Mommy is at work. First we'll make snow angels for two hours, then we'll go ice skating, then we'll eat a whole roll of Tollhouse Cookie-dough as fast as we can, and then we'll snuggle." Daddy: "Well David, since you turned 2 months today, I think you're old enough for an adventure. I see you're prepared with your snow outfit."

David: Dad, snow angels are harder than I thought. How about I just rest in this shovel?.
David: Dad, I'm not so sure the shovel is all that comfy. Dad, can we go in and get warm?

David: Wow Dad, I loved that bath, and a snuggly robe is perfect after the snow adventure!

David: Dad, come snuggle! Oh, and bring the cookie dough with you.

David: Is that the cookie dough I see?!!

David: Well, either way I had fun on our adventure Dad!

David: Yo, yo. What's up Dad? Snuggle time on the couch.

David: We'll have to tell Mommy about this adventure!

8 weeks

2010-02-26T12:49:00.005-05:00

David has realy begun to LOVE his toys. He gives a big smile to his animal friends each morning that hang over his swing. He loves to kick the ball that hangs over his play mat. He's a bit vain, and loves looking at himself in the mirror. He is learning sign language, and he loves smiling at us whenever we sign. Oh, and he loves blinds on windows -- he could stare at them all day.

Just call him Mr. Mom

2010-02-26T12:46:00.007-05:00

Bri is such a great dad! The picture to the left is classic. Bri & David are rocking out to Keith Green. Well, you can tell David isn't rocking out any longer. He's out. Keith can gave that effect on David. Brian likes to sing along with Keith, and David will often be seen with a praise hand lifted up. It really is priceless to happen upon them in the living room. I think it's dad-son bonding.
Since I've (Mary) gone back to work fulltime (with working at home some), Brian gets to spend lots of time with David. David is doing really well with the new schedule; we're very thankful. The two shots below are Brian's handiwork: David snoozing in his Boppy on the couch. This way, Daddy can get some work done.

7 weeks

2010-02-26T12:45:00.001-05:00

David isn't too sure about turning 7 weeks. You can tell. And, he's wondering where his shirt is. He's tired of the paparazzi. He's got a lot on his mind. His life is so hard . . . that's what we tell him when he starts whining.

A Night Owl?

2010-02-26T09:03:00.002-05:00

Is this hat not a hoot? Ba, doomp ching! David is hooting in the picture :). David got this hat from my good friend Amy Claire. Amy included a note with the gift, "I hope you don't have a night owl." And folks, we don't have a night owl . . . (insert Hallelujah Chorus). I'm SO thankful, especially having gone back to work. God is gracious. David sleeps all night . . . 9:30pm to when I wake him, usually 5am or 6am. Then, David and I watch some news and read the Bible during his first feeding (while Daddy sleeps). I've grown to like our little routine.

6 weeks and Nana's birthday

2010-01-22T11:05:00.005-05:00

We celebrated Kim's birthday on Wednesday, and David celebrated his 6-week birthday. We had a great time with lots of yummy Chinese food.

We couldn't be more thankful for Kim, especially as she has been battling ovarian cancer. Kim, your devotion to the Lord has been seen through your joy and perseverance. He is faithful! We love you!

2010-01-17T17:10:00.002-05:00

Four weeks

2010-01-16T12:49:00.002-05:00

Boppy time
Daddy is more interesting

So cute, we could eat him

Pooped out (thanks Brooke for the outfit!!)

Hello Little Man

Watching football with daddy

Before you knew it, I was yelling at the refs

Dad & his boy, watching football

Three Weeks

2010-01-16T12:38:00.009-05:00

In my room with mommy
Resting with daddy

Two weeks

2010-01-16T12:33:00.004-05:00

Sleeping on mommy's lap
Taking over mom & dad's bed

Christmas time with family

2010-01-15T15:51:00.003-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

David's first weeks

2010-01-12T15:45:00.019-05:00

Mary here. I've been wanting to write a post for so long! I'm so appreciative to Brian for posting all about David's birth. (Brian's post on David's story made me cry every time I read it). It has been so hard to find the time to write; this new journey of parenthood is such a joy, but also often tiresome. I'll recall some of the last few weeks with photos. I'm sure that's what you really want anyway :). (Christmas pictures to come in another post).

David's seat at breakfast table; Brian on his right, and me on his left

First smile caught on camera

What you'll often find me doing

My first bath

He wasn't a big fan of it (but, he's warming up to it more and more)

Having a chat with my animal friends

I absolutely love my bed!

Nestled on the couch next to Daddy

My official One Week Old picture

Peeking

You can often find me here

Nice and warm. Hilariously cute. Ready for the car.

A visit from Steve, Krissy & Katie

Me: wailing my head off . . . Katie: nice and serene

The fam

Why is life so complicated?

Happy 28th!

2010-01-12T15:39:00.003-05:00

My poor hubby's birthday (Dec. 6) had gotten overlooked by many because it was actual my due date. Here is a photo from that morning. Yes, he loves cereal that much that he wanted it for his birthday breakfast.

Here is a shout-out to my wonderful husband! I love you so much!! I can't imagine life without you! Thank you for pointing me to our Savior in your words and actions. My love grows deeper for you each year!

David's story

2009-12-13T00:17:00.011-05:00

Wednesday December 9^th

6:25am- Brian has loaded up the car and we head out for the hospital. It is cold and pouring rain out. This was one of the more intense drives of my life; the rain was coming down so hard and many of the streets we had to drive were flooding. Thankfully we arrived safely at the hospital just before 7am.

7:00am- Mary and I check into the hospital and they begin prepping her. Vital signs all check out good (she has taken really good care of herself these 9 months). As we wait for the midwife to arrive I pop the Elf DVD into my lap top and we settle in to watch.

8:10am- Mary’s water is broken and we wait for contractions to start (the DVD has stopped at this point. She is already 5cm and 90% effaced! We begin taking a walk up and down the halls in the maternity ward to help the contractions along. Mary puts a little bounce in her step as it seems to help her and I seem to notice the same bounce entering my step just from walking next to her, we have a good laugh over this.

9:00am- the contractions have really been coming now. A little Vitamin Water helps keep her energy up. On a side note, Vitamin Water seems to have a way of being involved in major life events for us. There was a bottle left for us in our room at the Four Seasons during our honeymoon. It made the trip with us to the Dominican Republic and provided refreshment throughout the week. Somehow it seemed to keep lasting like the Hanukkah oil or something. Back to the hospital- I really don’t know what to do with myself at this point, Mary’s contractions are getting really intense as she begins the transition phase of labor, and she doesn’t want anyone touching her. So I sit and watch offering words of encouragement.

11:45am- Mary has been laboring hard for a few hours now and they decide to do an examination. The midwife’s face drops a little as she says, “this baby is breech”. My eyes pop and face drops, Mary takes it in stride. “You know what that means?” says the midwife. “C-section”, Mary calmly says. I can’t believe it. For nine months Mary has worked so hard to have the healthiest possible pregnancy; she worked out regularly, ate right, we went to Bradley method classes for 10 weeks, along with hospital birth, breast feeding, and infant care classes, she has read the books and done the research all to have a healthy natural birth. And now the baby is breech and she has to get a c-section. Yet she takes it all in stride, I am holding back tears, I am a proud husband.

12:00pm- Mary is prepped for surgery and I get my scrubs on. We walk down the hallway we never thought we would walk down and head to the c-section wing. Mary goes in to have her spinal block; I have to wait in the hallway. Apparently it is during spinal blocks and epidurals that most husbands go down like falling trees, I don’t generally have a problem with needles but am ok with waiting, why take the chance. I can’t describe the emotions at this point, they are about to cut my wife open, which is a weird thing to think about, combined with the realization that I am about to meet my son is pretty amazing; a surreal time of contemplation and much prayer.

12:30 pm- I am called into the operating room and ushered to a small stool surrounded by wires and tubes and told not to touch anything blue; everything is blue! I hold Mary’s right hand, tell her I love her am proud of her and that she is doing great.

12:32pm- “there the butt, here come the legs, the torso, there’s the head”, I hear on the other side of the blue curtain, which I am pretty sure I am touching as I hold Mary’s hand. “Time of birth 12:32pm” Cries are heard following a little gargling sound. “You can look dad” I peer around the curtain and see David Scott for the first time. “Tell me about him”, Mary says. “well he’s got lots of brown hair”, “really?” “yeah, actually I think it is spiked like mine!” (chuckles). “He’s kicking a lot, but I suppose you could have guessed that. He’s got little rolls in his arms and legs, you make a beautiful baby!”

12:34pm- “You can come over dad”. And there he was, this precious little guy that we have been praying for these last nine months. I cut the cord, watch him get cleaned up and printed and give him his name, David Scott. We come back over to Mary and she meets him for the first time. This is a beautiful moment, on par with seeing her walk down the aisle on our wedding day and only topped by the first time I see her hold him. Now I am a proud husband and a proud father. We have our first family photo.

12:40pm- David and I go to the nursery for his screening tests. 7lbs 15 oz they tell me. I was off by one, I guessed 7lbs 14 oz the night before. They are doing their tests with him and I go to check on Mary.

1pm- David joins Mary and I in recovery and she holds him for the first time. We are a happy family and spend our precious first hour together there.

Over the next few days in the hospital we spend time getting to know each other. I have to leave Friday morning to take my last final, good to have that behind us. The nurses were great; they really loved our little guy. One in particular, a Hispanic woman, Liliana I think, comes in one morning and says “this baby, he’s so strong, and such personality, maybe he will be a president or something”, not really what I was thinking, but it was sweet. Several nurses and doctors commented on how strong he is, “I could have told you that before”, is Mary’s reply.

We are home now; it is a real joy to be in our home as a family. Thankfully I have several weeks off from school, so I can be home to help Mary through her recovery and we can have a great time growing together as a family. Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes we really appreciate them! Enjoy the pics.

We're home!

Family picture

David's first Christmas tree

Don't worry, practice doesn't start until tomorrow

Snuggled up with mommy

He loves mommy's kisses

A much needed nap for mommy and David

Little David with his mommy and daddy

2009-12-11T16:01:00.009-05:00

More family comes to visit

2009-12-11T15:00:00.011-05:00

Aunt Joy comes for a visit!

Grammy Pammy and Granddaddy Steve

David's family comes to visit

2009-12-10T00:51:00.010-05:00

Proud Grandpa (Brian's dad) with his first grand child

Uncle Mike and Aunt Jenna

Nana and Pop-O

More pics

2009-12-09T16:52:00.009-05:00

David has arrived!!!

2009-12-09T13:34:00.005-05:00

Just some pics for now, commentary to come. Mary and David are both doing well! Praise God!!

Little Man's Nursery

2009-12-02T08:49:00.012-05:00

So, here is the Little Man's new digs. I hope he likes them. He may make his appearance today . . . as I'm 4cm and showing signs of progress.

Anyway, we had fun working on his room. He is very loved already! Most of the things are new. I must give a shout-out to Brian who stained the dresser (which I faithfully used for years). Oh, and Brian deserves another shout-out because really he put everything together. I supervised and organized things :).

Brian chose this verse for the wall. I really like vinyl wall art . . .

Here is where I will probably sit a LOT . . . the glider
Closer up on the crib
Little baby things are too cute!
We've got some reading to do Little Man! Oh, BTW I got those basket for $1 each at Babies R Us . . . score! (They are usually $9.99 each)
The changing area. I already have his Christmas shirt hanging there :)
His dresser
Some blocks I had made with his name on them . . . I really like them.
Our Moses basket which will go downstairs
A frame made by friends . . . and our insert. To the left of the crib.

Work Baby Shower

2009-12-02T08:45:00.006-05:00

Uniquely enough, my coworker and I are only due 1 1/2 weeks apart from each other, so that lent well for a combined baby shower at work. Here are my fellow coworkers in the Operations Dept. to the left . . . Elana is the one expecting (to my left) as is quite obvious. And, Suzanne and Steve are on the right. I really enjoy working with them, and I hope I didn't overload them with too much work while I'm out on maternity leave!

Here is our cake . . .
Brian surprised me. He made it to my work for lunch!
Me. Gina, and Elizabeth . . . Gina has been my wonderful advocate for Hand Designs
Elana and her husband Judd (who also surprised her by coming to work for lunch)
Some other work peeps

Second Baby Shower

2009-12-02T08:34:00.009-05:00

Showers are such a blessing! I am so grateful for all the family and friends that so graciously want to help us prepare for the Little Man! We received so many wonderful (and handmade) things!

My second shower was hosted at the McGuire's home by Krissy (my BFF), my mom, and Mrs. McGuire. It was such a great time! Here is the spread to the left. My mom order the cake from this incredibly bakery (Dingledine's in CampHill, PA). We LOVE their cakes! Isn't this cake simply a masterpiece?!!! It tasted equally as incredible!

The adorable diaper cake that Krissy made . . . I love the little monkey on top!
Brian thanking my Pop-Pop for the awesome camcorder!
My mom and Grammy (doing so well since her stroke) chatting
Fun opening gifts
Ooo, what's this?
Some of my highschool girls: Betsy (and Elijah), Krissy (and Katie), Me, and Tamara
3 BFFs from highschool: Tamara, Me, and Krissy . . . I love 'em!
Roomies from back in the day . . . Jamie, Me, and Krissy . . . we missed you AC!!!!!

We're close folks!

2009-11-24T08:01:00.003-05:00

There are many posts that I want to write to catch you all up . . . but, they will have to wait! We've been getting prepared for the Little Man a lot these past few weeks/days. (I really want to post pictures of the nursery).

I just went to the midwife last night . . . (drumroll please) . . . and I'm already 3cm dialated and my cervix is soften! Whoa! I didn't anticipate that yet . . . but, we're excited as can be! We can't wait to meet our little son! We'll see if he "stays in the oven" until his due date . . . or until Brian finishes his finals at school ;). (The picture to the left is me at 36 weeks; I have to take my 38 week picture yet).

I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!
I'll post again if I have time :).

32 weeks

2009-10-24T16:09:00.004-04:00

Well, this was me at 32 weeks (one morning before work . . . why is it so hard to remember to take prego pictures?!!). As of Monday, I'll be 34 weeks.

Folks, I am grow-ing! I'm definitely starting to get uncomfortable. I just told Brian today that he's going to have to start putting on my socks and shoes soon, lol. I'm starting to swell some, sleeping is getting quite uncomfortable, and exercising is getting more and more low-key (swimming really has been wonderful).

We can't wait to meet our soon in a few short weeks, Lord willing.

My first baby shower

2009-10-24T15:54:00.007-04:00

I was SO suprised folks! Really. My step-mom, sister-in-law and many church ladies threw a surprise baby shower for me a few weeks ago. I was blown away with the out-pouring of our church family. (A picture of some of the loot is to the left . . . taking over our house). It was a special time, and it was super fun to get stuff for our Little Man. Our nursery was looking a little bare, and now it's starting to take on some sort of form. We still are in need of most of the "big-ticket" items . . . but, we have another shower coming this next weekend. Wow, God really is so good. We're very thankful. And, we really are so excited to meet our little son.
Belly shot of my cousin Michelle and me
Opening gifts
Slowly organizing some of the loot

Football Season

2009-10-24T15:46:00.005-04:00

Yes, we know it's professional football season, but I'm talking about Brian's football coaching season. (If you're wondering, we are serious Eagles' Fans). This is Brian's, hmm well, I guess 8th season coaching. He really is quite the coach. This season has been spect-a-cu-lar! Seriously folks, the team has only had 6 pointed scored on them all season! They pretty much annihilate every team. Brian is doing a great job, and I love being a fan!

Apple Day

2009-10-24T15:34:00.009-04:00

For those of you who've been following my blog for more than a year (not sure how many of you faithful folks are out there) . . . Apple Day has been a annual tradition for the senior high girls. We usually go apple picking and then have an afternoon of apple-baking madness. This year, Treva (another leader) hosted -- thank you! I'm just getting to slow as I work in the kitchen toward the end of my pregnancy, and it's nice to simply help in someone else's kitchen right now.

So, this year, we made delicious Apple Dapple Cake, caramel apple crisp, caramel apples, and one amazing lattice-topped apple pie. Nice work ladies!! It was a wild, fun time!

Hostess with the mostess
Silly with apple peels
These girls are pros!
Pardon us, just dig in

Bathroom Renovation

2009-10-11T21:57:00.012-04:00

While I was away on a girls youth retreat in March, Brian began the renovations on our downstairs bathroom. It was the only room in the house that was not renovated prior to us moving in back in November 2007. The picture to the left doesn't really do justice to the need for renovations, . . . but the walls were very cheap wallboard that would sage if you leaned into them, the wood trim was broken and jagged near the base boards, the sink was large and made it difficult for people to squeeze by, it wasn't insulated so it was cold in winter, there was no fan, and the ceiling showed leak marks. So, we thought it was time for renovations, especially with thinking about a little one coming and it almost being hazardous with the jagged wood especially.

Before the pictures, I must thank my hubby for ALL the VERY HARD work he put into this bathroom. I love it now, and actually want to use it. Brian calls it "his bathroom" now.

Here are the pictures showing the transformation . . .

Gutted
Beginning the insulation installation
Insulation complete
Drywall complete
Sanding and painting begins
The final product

Wicked in NYC

2009-10-08T20:57:00.010-04:00

Just yesterday, I got to go to NYC with my dad and little sister to see Wicked. It was a very special treat. My step-mom was supposed to go with them, but she was unable to, . . . so I happily took her spot. Joy had much-anticipated this play, having wanted to see if for 4 years now and having the entire soundtrack memorized. It was especially fun to see her enjoy it so much -- her first Broadway show. We had seats in the orchestra area, and I loved it.

We had a chance to roam around NYC too, and ate lunch at Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay's restaurant Bar Americain. It was in-cred-i-ble folks! Wow!

In and around Times Square

Joy in the insanely huge M&M store

The view from our table in Bar Americain

Unbelievably satisfied after lunch

Headed in for the show!

What a fun Dad-Daughter Day!

We took the plunge

2009-10-08T08:02:00.005-04:00

Yup, we've gone through 3 cameras in less than 3 years of marriage. And, when we try to get them fixed (or realize we left them at a wedding), we get told they are simply not worth fixing. Argh. That might also explain the lack of pictures and posts on this blog. Really, what are posts without at least one or two pictures ;)?

So, in anticipation of the baby we thought it was time. And, this time we got warranties . . . and I mean extended warranties . . . on both cameras. Yes, we decided to buy two. Why? Because I've really been wanting a fancy-shmancy SLR and we want a little one to throw into our pocket/purse.

So, we decided on these two . . .

Nikon D40

Nikon S570

And, we've had a blast fiddling around with them. You'll see some pictures soon.

So, that will fulfil Brian's birthday in December and my Christmas present. I'm very happy with our purchases.

California and back!

2009-10-01T20:42:00.009-04:00

For over a year, I had hopes of making it to my college homecoming this October, but that wasn't going to happen for various reasons, and very importantly because I didn't feel comfortable with flying at almost 33 weeks. So, instead my mom and I flew out to CA (when I was only 28 weeks) for me to see Brooke (my college BFF) and for my mom to visit some of her friends. It was such a great trip! It was truly refreshing to catch up with Brooke and meet her (adopted) daughter Rachel, and it was enjoyable to be in such a pretty area of the country. Brooke was a delightful hostess, and was so accomodative to my more low-key needs right now with pregnancy. Brooke and I seem to pick up wherever we last left off, like our conversation never ended (even though lots happens in our lives). She is a precious friend to me, and has taught me so much. It was a joy to see her as a mom and hear how God is shaping and molding her life.

Here I am with Rachel at Basil, a great Thai restaurant in Paso Robles

Here is the cute Cone fam, minus a few

A view of the "golden hills" of CA, headed back to San Jose

Back with my mom and her friends in Saratoga, at Dio Deka for dinner -- delish!

My mom and her friend Joyce

Joyce and her husband Ted, who hosted us in Saratoga for a few days

I really wish Brian could have traveled with me, but due to school and coaching football that just wasn't feasible. I did have a wonderful time with my mom though. I must confess she spoils me. We got chair massages at the airport, she treated me to Starbucks (my fav: Vivanno Banana Chocolate Frappacino), to a facial and pedicure at Preston Wynne Spa (can we say WOW?!!!!), and she always carried my luggage. I was honestly surprised at how refreshed I was when I came back. I had made sure to get good sleep, and I was SUPER excited to see my Brian when I came back home.

Brian met us after we landed in Philly for dinner to celebrate my mom's birthday. We had a great time at Morimoto's.

Happy 15th Birthday Joy!

2009-09-13T21:35:00.003-04:00

My precious sister turned 15 on 9/11. Yes, that is her birthday. It's a memorable day in many ways. We celebrated her birthday together today. I truly love Joy like she's my daughter and sister. Our 14 year age spread is priceless to me -- we have a blast together. We've become such great friends, and I can't believe she's getting so grown up. In a few words, Joy is: animated/dramatic, social/gregarious, frank with her thoughts, musical, well-read, thoughtful, bubbly, and our little fashionista. And, the coolest thing is leading her in youth group and Bible study and getting to see her grow spiritually. Happy Birthday my Joy!

Definitely Growing

2009-09-13T21:28:00.003-04:00

28 weeks. It's so weird (yet very exciting) to be constantly growing these days. There is no doubt that our Little Man is getting very strong. There really isn't a time of day when he is not kicking and moving -- when I wake up, when I eat breakfast, while I'm at work (and actually knocked over papers I had resting on my stomach), while I exercise, while I wash dishes (always reminding me if I accidentally lean on the counter), while I rest on the couch, after every meal, and then again when I lie down for bed. It's really special . . . and I love that Brian can feel the baby all the time too.

I guess we might have a little football player in the works.

Bradley Method

2009-09-13T21:11:00.003-04:00

Heard of it? A method of natural childbirth. Brian and I have been attending a 10-week class on the Bradley Method. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am ridiculously sensitive to medicine, and I mean ridiculous. So, if there is a negative side-effect to medication, you can be sure that I'll get it, and get it bad. So, we'll see about childbirth . . . if I can handle the pain without the drugs.

Honestly though, I have found these birthing classes to be quite helpful (and the book, Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way . . . thanks Krissy). I'm the type of person that likes to be as educated as possible about things like this. Sure, there are some things that we don't jive with completely in this method, but I've have gleaned some great things from the class. First and foremost, all the exercises that they have us doing (with the addition of a few of my own to strengthen my back) have been tremendous for me in my pregnancy. I do stretches and exercises for 15 minutes after getting up each morning, and it really helps me feel like I can get going. We'll see how much they help for actual labor.

I usually don't talk about our birthing choice/method with many people because I feel like women are quite adamant about birthing methods -- either definitely doing what they did, or definitely not doing what they did. I find that I usually get a very long story of someone's labor whenever I mention it.

We know that God has His perfect ways for the birthing of our Little Man. And, we're excited to meet him -- however it happens.

First BIG Gift

2009-08-24T10:22:00.003-04:00

It's been so fun getting little boy outfits from people and various hand-me-downs. I'm realizing that I probably won't need to have any clothes on our registry because that I think that's everyone's favorite thing to buy. It's so fun piling up the cute little boy clothes. Our biggest gift though was given to us by Brian's dad and mom: our Evenflo Aura Select Travel System. Wow-wee! We love it. Brian put it together the night we got it. It also came with a bonus umbrella stroller for when the kiddo gets bigger.

We are so blessed by these gracious gifts, and we can't wait for our Little Man to use them!

Bloggy Vacation

2009-08-13T20:56:00.004-04:00

Here I am with some of my senior high girls -- Girl's Night Out at Macaroni Grill.

It's been a while blog friends. I needed a break, and really life just needed me to step away. But, hopefully I'm back . . . in more regularity. I'm not quite sure how to update you on 3 months . . . but the bottom 4 posts should help.

Babies abound

2009-08-13T20:45:00.009-04:00

I think this is a baby season if I've ever known one. I've been going to baby showers like there the new thing to do. My best friend, Krissy had her little girl Katy Rai the end of July . . . a very special day. I got tingles when I saw the picture she texted of her and her little girl. God is so good.

Other special births were Nathanael Shover and Clara Mooney this summer. There are more babies that I simply don't have pictures for yet too! Babies are great :).

Nathanael

Clara

Family Vacation in OBX

2009-08-13T20:30:00.018-04:00

We sure love the Outer Banks in NC. We had a great time this year. We were joined by Brian's brother and our sister-in-law, my brother, his wife and their 3 kids, and my mom. It was great to see my brother and his family because we don't get to see them too often. His wife is pregnant too, so we had fun sharing pregnancy stories.

We like being lazy on vacation, with nothing planned. We aren't excursion people, planning things to do or see. We wake up, leisurely eat breakfast, Jenna and I would go on a run or exercise, we'd pack lunch, head down to the beach, be there a few hours, come back to our pool at the house and eat a few snacks, get a shower, eat dinner, enjoy the sunset, and chill together (maybe with a game or a movie or a walk or a dip in the hot tub). It was delightful.

Bri, Me, My Mom, My Bro w/ Jacob, Robin

Mike, Jenna, Me, Bri

The pregos

Miss Ansley Grace, my niece

Caleb, the lego man

Jacob, smiley man

My Mom (Nanny D) and Caleb having a chat at sunset

Always working on a puzzle

Sistas

Jacob, making a get-away

Us at sunset

We miss you OBX . . .

Youth Basketball

2009-08-13T20:20:00.014-04:00

My hubby has such energy and passion . . . for lots of things, . . . but very much for God, athletics, and kids. So, this summer we started a youth basketball program at our church. It's every Thursday night, and we've had a mix of church kids and community kids. I help with the administration of things. Brian has done a great job starting off this ministry: organizing the coaches, teaching the kids new skills, leading devotions, refereeing, and doing lots of other things no one notices. It's a blessing to have lots of church support; we couldn't do it without them. We'll end the season on August 30th with a family BBQ and ceremony for the kids. We actually have a Christian speaker who was a Olympian hurdler. It should be a memorable time!

The Little Man in my belly

2009-08-13T19:45:00.014-04:00

Here I am at 23 weeks. We found out we're having a boy, and we couldn't be more excited! He's an active little fellow, wiggling pretty much all day (and night). My first trimester, I was very tired and nauseous, but that pretty much came to a halt at week 14, hallelujah. Since then, it's been some "round ligament pain" (basically my uterus doesn't like stretching), some sciatic nerve pain (which the chiropractor has really helped), some stiffness sleeping (but yoga and stretching has been helping that), . . . I by no means want to complain because I have so much more energy and many days I feel really good. It's just hilarious how very different each day is -- it's an adventure! It's a privilege to be carrying our little man around. We can't wait to meet him in a few short months.

19 weeks
18 weeks
16 weeks
14 weeks
12 weeks
10 weeks

Starting the Hand clan!

2009-05-10T14:21:00.002-04:00

Guess what?!! We're expecting! I'm 10 weeks today. The little one is expected to finish cooking in the oven on Brian's birthday, Dec 6th! We're so excited!

Easter . . . and turning 29!

2009-04-19T19:28:00.013-04:00

This year I got to share my birthday with Easter -- that's something special (but, not a first). It was an incredibly sunny day, reminding me of so many blessings . . . starting with our Savior's sacrifice and resurrection (Hallelujah!), rich fellowship at church as we have Easter breakfast together, being with family and friends, and all the ways my hubby blessed me (really during the whole weekend). Oh, and the icing on the cake was that it was a 4-day weekend for both Brian and I.

Bri always decorates the kitchen for my birthday, and I love it

We slimmed down from last year's 14 Easter guests to just 9

I am in love with our forsythia bushes -- I'm always snipping it

Jenna and the jalepeno-cream cheese-bacon appetizers that her finger burned and swole up from . . . oh, but they were good!

Bri perfecting his lambchop appetizers . . . mm mm good!

The lambchops really need their own picture

All the Easter peeps . . . a special shout-out to the Riggall's, we love you guys!

While we're at it, we really should show the latest Hand addition, compliments of Jeremy Riggall . . . it's not often friends find you a new dishwasher . . . many, many thanks!

We had a chance to be with more family on Easter evening . . .

And some more family: cousins Rachel, Michelle & Mark

Happy Birthday Jenna!

2009-04-19T19:17:00.006-04:00

We had some fun times at Outback for Jenna's birthday dinner! There was lots of family and "covenant" family as we call it . . . church peeps that are like family.

Here I am with the birthday girl. Jenna, I'm thankful to have you as my sister-in-law!

The main reason Jenna loves Outback: bloomin' onions!

Me, my sis, my sis's BFF, and my sis-in-law . . . love these girls!

Playing goofy games while we wait on dinner

Jenna in love with her Tinkerbell cake . . . she's our Disney lover!

Hand Designs

2009-04-10T16:09:00.012-04:00

My business, Hand Designs sure has been keeping me on my toes lately. Between all the bridal showers and baby showers this Spring has brought, there have been many other orders coming in. Here is a bridal shower gift to the left.

I've also recently done a towel cake, matching the bridesmaid's fushia dresses . . .

Here are some more announcements and recent stationery

Hello blog

2009-04-10T15:39:00.008-04:00

It's been a while -- over a month. Life has been full, and the blog had to take a back seat.

After glancing at my picture, you may have thought I've gone crazy. Uhm, probably yes. Or, just being silly on the girls youth retreat, and someone happened to capture it. Most of February and March I was preparing for leading a girls youth retreat up in the Poconos. I was one of the 3 woman leaders, and there were about 25 girls. Guess what? I got to drive a 15 passenger van all weekend. It was honestly a blast; I never would have thought. The theme of the weekend was True Beauty. We had a session on beauty and your identity (in Christ), a session on modesty, and one on dating/sexual purity. God really answered lots of prayers that weekend. I love watching girls bond and seeing friendships grow. It's hard not to think of these girls as your own kids a lot of time. Some weekend highlights: playing 4-on-a-couch, watching the girls interact with the lessons, bonding as we shopped at the outlets, swimming in the rec center, and being goofy girls.

I wish I took more pictures, but honestly it's the last thing on my mind when there are 25 girls that need your attention. I often just handed off the camera to someone and asked for them to click away. Here are a few shots.

Church-filled weekend

2009-02-22T19:47:00.005-05:00

Did I mention we love our church peeps?!! Really, I mean we love them. They are seriously like family. I think that's one of the reasons being so involved at church is a joy for us. Brian and I have been at our church for quite some time (for Brian over 15 years, and for me 10 years). There is such beauty in really knowing people's stories and lives . . . and really living in community. I really feel that. God is good.

So, this weekend, you could say we are church-groupies for as much time as we spent with church peeps. Friday night was game-night (one pic above), which my parents hosted. We had some serious laughing there. You could rotated from game to game all night. We played Battle of the Sexes, Apples to Apples, and Buzz Word. Fun times.

Saturday, Brian had a work day at church (helping with church renovations) while I got a big Hand Design order completed and shipped out. We gulped down some lunch around 1:30pm and then were back to church at 2pm for food preparations. Our 9th/10th grade Sunday school class was preparing food for the big lunch our church serves on the last Sunday of the month for low-income locals. So, we cooked up a storm for 3 hours in the church kitchen, listening to some good tunes. We went out for dinner at a local pizza joint with my sister and her BFF who were going to spend the night with us (they are in our Sunday school class). Then, we were back to church for our couples small group. Brian led the lesson in our evangelism series. Great discussion -- I love those couples. Joy and her BFF were the babysitters for the kiddos during the study. (Then, we went home and relaxed around 9:30pm).

Sunday (today) was a fun "sleepover" breakfast. Joy and her BFF (Megan) spend the night fairly often, so we have some fun rituals. Then, we were all out the door at 7:50am. Megan and I are singers in our worship team, Joy had nursery, and Brian ushered. Then, Brian and I taught Sunday school (our NT Survey) looking at 2 Peter. Then, we prepared the lunch for all 39 guests. Two of our students gave a talk before the meal, and Brian did also. Did you want to know the menu we served? Minestrone soup, salad, bread . . . then, ham-potato-cheese casserole, green beans, fruit cup, . . . then chocolate cake with cream-cheese icing with a Hershey kiss on top. The students did a great job preparing, doing all the set up, serving, giving talks, and cleaning up.

Well, after we got home at 3:30, guess what we did today . . . napped. You might think this weekend was a bit ridiculous, (and it was definitely busier than our usual weekends), but we loved it.

Phantom in NYC

2009-02-22T19:30:00.006-05:00

We had a great time folks! For those of you in the Philly area, I highly recommend Hagey Tours. They offer great prices for transportation (in a coach bus) and your theater ticket. They actually have tons of tours, but one-day tours to NYC for a show are all I've done so far. It really made the day a dream, especially because neither Brian or I were pumped about driving into NYC.

Once we arrived in NYC, we were even more glad that we hadn't driven. Wow, can we say . . . crazy construction EVERYWHERE and hoards (and I mean hoards of people)?!!! We spent most of our time in Times Square, which is fun and wild, but really, do you need that many televisions everywhere? No wonder there are so many accidents. I think we crossed every street corner with about 200 other people. There cars could barely swim through us all. Oh, did I mention we were in NYC on Valentine's Day? Maybe that's why all the peeps were out and about.

When we got off the bus, we just stretched our legs for a while, walking the streets. We had fun in the huge M&M store: 3 floors of chocolatey goodness. It smells divine in there.

We had lunch at Hard Rock Cafe Times Square for lunch. We have a funny fetish with Hard Rocks; it all started in Santo Domingo, DR. Ask me about the story some time. Anyway, we started with the nachos, in our usual manner. (We probably should have asked someone to take our picture . . . at least once during the day. Oops. Here's my meager attempt).

Then, off to the show! It was spectular peeps! We loved it. We were the 2nd row in the balcony. The singers were amazing as well as the special effects. Oh, and for my friends from DCCS, guess who sat a few rows behind us at the show? Jamie Deagler -- wow, blast from the past. We barely recognized each other; it's been 10 years.

After the show, we got Starbucks drinks and mosied back to the bus. We were home by 8pm. We still had a night together at home. What a fabulous Valentine's Day!

Headed to NYC

2009-02-13T09:32:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow we will be seeing Phantom of the Opera on Broadway! Ooo, I'm so excited! It's a Valentine's Day treat!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Happy Birthday Kim!

2009-01-29T07:00:00.010-05:00

Last night, we celebrated Kim's (my step-mom) birthday. I love being with family. Kim's special request was pizza and a homemade chocolate cake with buttercream icing. I did the cake, and my dad did the rest. Does anyone else out there absolutely love cream sode?!! I hadn't had it in a long while and it tasted wonderful with the pizza.

Here are some pics from the festivities . . .
Yellow roses, her favorite . . . and the cake

Fun casual dining

Joy and Kim

Brian and Tucker

The girls

Snow Day

2009-01-29T06:56:00.007-05:00

Yesterday we got about 3 inches of snow and then ice. I worked from home, and Brian enjoyed a day off from school. It was a nice change of pace, and it's always nice to look out at the snow in the yard.

I have to say that the highlight was the incredible quesadillas that Brian made for lunch. Wow! The best I ever had!!! Here's what were in them: taco meat, turkey bacon, black beans, red peppers, carmelized onions, cheddar cheese . . . then, top it with sour cream and mango salsa! Mmm, mmm, mmm.

Here's some pics of the yard:

Time to smile

2009-01-15T20:50:00.008-05:00

Oh, and I forgot to mention some very important news in the posts below: I got my top braces off before Christmas! If you're tempted to think it's a small thing, oh it's really not! These are momentous times!

You'll notice the posting is either feast or famine around here. It's been famine for a while. And, now it's feast time . . . on reading. There are 5 new posts below.

A Best Friend Reunion

2009-01-15T20:34:00.006-05:00

Last weekend a reunion of some of my best friends: best friends from high school. Yes, that would be Krissy and Tamara. We had a super fun time together down in Maryland at Krissy and Steve's place. We chatted tons, ate great food, saw the sights in downtown Annapolis, chatted some more, . . . it was great. Oh, here's a juicy tidbit: Krissy is pregnant!! Woohoo! Their first kiddo is due the end of July. Tamara is an 'ol pro at the kid thing . . . 4 great kiddos.

It's really hard to keep up those very special friendships in your life . . . especially across miles, with busy lives, and so many new relationships in each new phase. But, there is no doubt that certain people have a huge place in your heart and nothing can change that . . . like my Krissy, Brooke, and Tamara. I really love those girls. I hope I can get to see Brooke sometime soon . . .

Taking Up Swimming

2009-01-15T20:19:00.002-05:00

I think that ever since Amy Claire started swimming, I've more than secretly wanted to start regularly swimming. And, after years of running (which I still enjoy), my knees are starting to talk to me . . . so, it's time for a no-impact cardio sport to join in the weekly routine: swimming! If you know me, you know I love fitness.

Anyway, it's convenient that my LA Fitness has a nice pool. I got me some TYR goggles, a TYR cap, and a swimmer's suit. And, I consulted one of our senior high girls from church extensively (who is a competitive swimmer). I've been her little aprentice. It's been fun. So here are some of my very beginner swimming tips:

1. A cap doesn't keep your hair from getting wet. It just holds it back.
2. In a lap pool, swimmers share 1 lane. You shouldn't stand and wait for a lane all to your own.
3. Swimming takes LOTS of lung-power.
4. You'll feel like Gumby when exiting the pool (after swimming your first few times).
5. Have fun and relax!

Anyway, any swimmers out there? Give me a shout. I'll take any tips. I'm mainly doing free-style, back-stroke, and various other things that I see people do.

2 Years Together

2009-01-15T19:40:00.019-05:00

It's hard to know how the time can fly by so quickly. It's been 2 incredible years together

. . . thankful for each new day, always learning something new about each other, learning how to communicate better, learning how to trust God with the big and small things (especially money), having fun travels together, moving into a new home, serving at church together in many ways, seeing the refining process of marriage, learning how to balance schedules, having morning devotions together, Brian plugging through college,

. . . and goofy little things: going through at least 1 box of Shredded Mini-Wheats per week, making sure I never blow-dry my hair while Brian irons or we'll blow a circuit, trying to find a remedy for very large flocks of geese in our yard (like hundreds), witnessing Brian kill numerous flies with his bare hands, enjoying a good episode of King of Queens, . . . this could get long-winded.

Anyways, we really love life together . . . even through the hard and difficult times. God is very gracious! And, we're very thankful!

My mom gifted us with a trip to D.C. to celebrate 2 years . . .

Washington Monument, and our double-chins :)

The White House

Priding ourselves on cheap-eats: Julie's Empanadas

Yummo empanadas + lunch in the park + warm sunshine = bliss!

Doors I liked - at the Daugthers of American Revolution building

WWII Monument . . . it's new

The Lincoln Memorial

The Jefferson Memorial . . . yea, we got around

We got to see Twelfth Night, very fun

We did the museums, but I'll spare you those pictures

Sunset at the Capital one night

We couldn't pass up the Botanical Gardens, . . . more like I couldn't

An orchid named after me: Mary Orchid

We have many more pictures, but I don't want to bore you :). If you ever want a virtual trip of D.C., let me know. But, really I highly recommend a trip there. It's so unbelievably free everywhere, and we ate at some really fun restaurants. It's was a splendid time!

Do you have a Christmas Pickle?

2009-01-15T19:20:00.007-05:00

We received a Christmas pickle (ornament) this year. I thought it was really cute.

The glass Christmas pickle ornament is always the last glass ornament to be hung on the Christmas tree. The parents hide the glass pickle ornament in the Christmas tree among the other German glass ornaments. When the children were allowed to view the
Christmas tree they would begin gleefully searching for the German glass pickle ornament. The children knew that whoever found the glass pickle ornament first would receive an extra little gift and would be the one to begin the unwrapping of the Christmas gifts.

Even though there are no kiddos yet, we're not going to let that stop us. Guess what our "little gift" with the pickle was this year? Back massages!