Vacation to NC

The first week in February, we were thankful to have the opportunity to spend time with family and friends, once again. I have to mention the trip down. We didn't leave until really late in the evening and Micah had not slept very much the night before so I prayed for energy to drive the late-late shift. I drove through Knoxville, TN and then through the mountains to Asheville. There were hardly any cars or trucks on the road. The mountains through this stretch are beautiful- even in the dark. I even saw a shooting star in the still, black sky. I realized what a city girl I am; having to remind myself that stars are always this shiny. With good praise and worship music leading me on, I had a most peaceful time and Micah and the little ones got some much needed rest. Micah was refreshed enough to drive the extremely late shift from Asheville to Statesville and I got to sleep:)

The first half of the week, we spent in Stony Point, NC with the Childs family.

We had lunch the first day at a beautiful club in Conover.

We were thankful to be joined by so many of Micah's family. We learned at this lunch that Micah's brother and his wife are expecting. It was exciting for us to hear the news in person!

Of course, Andrew and Elijah spent some time with their cousin, Caleb. They were all sweet for this photo shoot.

Elijah wanted to "be Superman" the entire trip. When it was time to put on clothes, I ended up pinning his cape to the back of whatever he was wearing so he could continue to "fly"!

A highlight of every trip to Abba and Nana's house is a bath in the big Jacuzzi tub.

Dustin, Mary, Andrew, and I did this puzzle while talking one evening. Micah and I went through a few months where we did puzzles together. I had forgotten how enjoyable it is just to talk and "work a puzzle" as Andrew says.

One highlight of our trip was being able to visit Micah's cousin, Ben. He is doing so well after his recent surgery to insert a trach to help him breathe better. He has the sweetest spirit and a heart overflowing with thankfulness. He always greets us warm smiles and is such a gracious host.

It is always fun at the Childs' home to sing and play music. Andrew serenaded us with a loud version of the army song (O Church Arise). Micah's dad taught me scales on the violin and even let me bring home one for practice. Micah encouraged me to get "really good" before bring it home:) We also played a game of croquet. Micah was the victor! Andrew made friends with the cows and finally stopped worrying that one would make its way through the fence and chase him!

The second half of the week, we spent in Wilkesboro with the Abernethy family.

Papa and Mimi's backyard was super-fun for the boys. Elijah liked being pushed around in this cool, red ride.

We also found dad's old red wagon and put it to good use as a "grass-sled". No trips to the ER this time, despite the prediction of Micah who was sure that would be inevitable.

Andrew is really improving when it comes to hitting the baseball. No broken windows, but he did hit the roof of their house a few times:)

We decided to take off behind their house to see where we might end up ("take-off" and "end-up" prove there is some country girl in me somewhere). It was a perfect day to hike. It was sunny and mild. The air was crisp and clear. Did I mention that in February there are no spiders or snakes out yet? That made it PERFECT!

Elijah was thankful for Papa who carried him most of the way, because his little legs just couldn't make it very far.
At the end of the short hike, we came to a clearing. It wasn't difficult to remember why we think NC is so beautiful.

Definitely not the "wood between the worlds" but just as sleepy and peaceful~

This is Andrew and Elijah's 2nd (or something) cousin Caleb (they have a system for identifying Calebs... whichever one they are not with is the other Caleb:)) They were glad to have some playtime with him as well.

After 7 days and several photo-opportunities, the boys were not so excited about saying "cheese" anymore. I couldn't resist taking pictures of just their faces while they were supposed to be posing!

There were other fun things, like visits with Tiff's uncle and aunt from Clemmons, dessert with Micah's old high school friends, and really good food from Mimi's kitchen. I always liked good food:) ~that was for you, Dad. There was a little Rock Band here and there and a big family meal with more relatives we don't get to see very often. Remember the croquet victory for Micah? Well, unfortunately, he lost at the electronic game of LIFE. He made a lot of money, but had very few heart points. I however had the most heart points and was in debt around $250,000... but I was the winner! I had four kids and a salary of $5,000 a year. Go figure.

Time

About midnight last night, Elijah woke up and stood at the gate at his bedroom door and called for me. He has always been such a good sleeper and didn't afford me half as many opportunities to help him back to bed in the middle of the night as Andrew in toddler years. So I quickly got up and grabbed the little fella. I think he had a bad dream, pretty typical for his age. Anyway, as I held him, I realized very quickly how his body had grown from being able to fit right on my chest to now hanging off my shoulder, with limbs in every direction! I suddenly began feeling discontent with how quickly he was growing. I sat down on the couch and starting spiraling downward. My discontentment took over to such a degree that I starting feeling very sad- sad that time passes so quickly, sad that I couldn't remember every detail of days past, sad that he now says "Andrew" instead of "Drew" when calling for his brother , sad that he has outgrown some really cute clothes, sad that Andrew had outgrown those same clothes before him, sad that I had neglected such precious opportunities, sad that I hadn't spent my time more wisely... Wait a second! Thankfully, the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit convicted me at that very moment that I was sowing a future of discontentment and sadness by waisting my time right then. Memory is a precious gift and so is growing- for us all- and I can do nothing about the past. It has in fact been a means to my more sanctified present, which would be incomplete without it just as it was. I repented, thanked God for precious moments past and for the fresh, precious moments present and for the sweet, maturing, two-and-a-half year old on my lap. I gently kissed his head. Elijah in turn, feeling smothered by my attempt to cuddle him finally got frustrated with me and said, "Mommy, I want to go to Elijah's bed!" It was a nice 10 minutes.

Conviction is a wonderful thing.

Happy 5th Birthday Andrew!

January 12th marked Andrew's 5th year on this earth. We are so thankful and proud of him! He has grown from a little 5 lb. 13 oz. baby to be a strong and healthy kid. God's lavish and gracious gift of a precious baby boy was not deserved or owed to us. We are profoundly grateful for the time we have been given so far to spend with him in this life.

Andrew is a thinker. He recently shared with Micah's boss his ideas about improving the Chick-fil-a by adding outdoor seating. He wasn't going to let lack of space in the parking lot deter him from figuring out how it could work! He decided that a picnic table in the grass might be the best option~ He always wants to know what the plan is for each day and makes sure we stick to it. This is really helpful to Mommy who is easily distracted... He is still very driven in preschool and loves to write and read. I have to keep up with all he wants to learn. He loves legos and computer games. His favorite song is still the "army song" (refer to Tiffany's Tracks blog for more info on this one). He makes new friends very easily. It is not uncommon for him to introduce himself to people at random- especially at Chick-fil-a!
We spent his entire birthday playing legos. In the evening, we did go to Chick-fil-a (of course:)) for dinner. He got ice cream, cookie cake, and a make-shilk for dessert (for those of you who don't understand what a shake-milk is, our children are just determined not to call this frozen treat by its correct name!). The day following his birthday, we had friends meet us for bowling and cake. The kids all had a blast!

Converstaions With and Between a 2-Year-Old and 5-Year-Old

Elijah: "Daddy, You have a boo-boo. You have to go to the doctor and he'll shoot you... No.... he'll shot you. And you have to cry."

Elijah: "Thank you, Thank you, Mommy."
Tiffany: "For what Elijah?"
Elijah: "For holding me."

While the family is watching a new movie together, Elijah, anticipating something exciting (Which is once every couple of minutes) exclaims, "What's going to be?!? What's going to be?!?"

Tiffany: "Elijah, why are you up from the table before finishing your lunch?"
Elijah: "I had to fight the tiger, Mommy."

Andrew: "I have to go on the top bed!" ~the top bed is what the boys call the top bunk~
Tiffany: "Andrew, you know the top bed is just for sleeping and not playing."
Andrew: "I do need some rest, Mommy. I haven't had rest in years."

Elijah: "I like Tarheels!"
Tiffany: "Me too!"
Elijah: "Daddy doesn't like Tarheels?
Tiffany: "No, Elijah. Daddy likes Duke."
Elijah: "Duke is scary?"
Tiffany: "Yes, Elijah. Duke is scary!"

Andrew: "Elijah, let's play Superman! You go get stuck on something and I will rescue you!"


Nursery Worker says to Elijah: "You are so cute I could put you in my pocket!"
Andrew, overhearing what was said: "He's too big for your pocket!"

And my favorite comes from lunchtime today. I decided to start asking the boys while they are at the table how I can be praying for them that day. Andrew answered that he was thankful for his church and needed me to ask God to help him obey and not disobey (I really need this prayer for myself as well!). I then asked Elijah, "How can I pray for you?" Elijah said, "Mommy, you just say "Dear God.. Amen!" Just go like that!" I decided at that point that his advice was best; to stop talking about praying and just do it!

Welcome Chick-fil-a!

This past week has been very busy as a new Chick-fil-a opened near Mall St. Matthews here in Louisville. The boys have enjoyed driving by and watching the building progress over the last few of months. Micah had many opportunities provided by his boss to help in hiring and training some of the new employees. He was very thankful for the experience! As life in the US has been uncertain for so many, we are so thankful that God has taken care of us through Micah's job and more specifically through the generosity of Micah's boss. This makes us all the more thankful for the blessing of this new store for he and his family!

This past Monday, we attended the Dedication Dinner at The Olmstead. It was a 20's theme which made the evening fun and festive.

Tuesday night, there was a community dinner at the new store. We stopped by at the end of the festivities. The boys and I got a tour of the store and the boys got to break in the new play area.

Wednesday night, we went by to see the first 100 "raving fans" who received 52 free combos (one for each week of next year). It was freezing outside- actually below freezing. There were couples, families, college kids, and singles all camped out in the parking lot. I didn't get a picture of the tents but they covered the entire parking lot! We did meet up with a group from NC. One of the guys used to attend Western Avenue Baptist Church with us a long, long time ago:) This was his 17th Chick-fil-a grand-opening! He may almost eat more Chick-fil-a than Micah!

It was a party outside equipped with a DJ and outdoor heaters!

We also had the pleasure of meeting Dan Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-a's son and current president of the company. Also in this picture to the far left is Micah's boss' son, Nate. He is so sweet to Andrew and Elijah~

Just a Trip to NC

Just to forewarn you, this is going to be a long blog. If you aren't into stories that are detailed and dramatic, stop reading now! I have decided that in attempt to chronicle our last trip as well as get some cheap, much needed therapy to help me get over the last few days, I would share all of this with you. Enjoy!

It began with my husband's admonition to go to North Carolina the weekend before Christmas. To this very minute I have absolutely no regrets about choosing to go. This is just where it all started. I agreed that missing a good friend's engagement party and meeting her future husband would be regretful. Being the brave, too-big-for-my-britches gal that I am I loaded the boys and myself into the van along with Christmas gifts to share and headed out. We left at 5:00a.m. and made it to Wilkesboro by lunchtime. The only thing to report about the departing trip was the unfortunate fate that awaited a squirrel trying to decide whether or not to cross the interstate halfway between Lexington and Huntington. We were greeted in NC by family and crammed all we could into the first half-day.

This is Elijah's invention, bread on a fork!

Sunday began with time at church, running into old friends, and then a visit with my aunt and uncle who traveled from Clemmons. It was my brother's 18th birthday and we of course had some cake to celebrate.

Dad and Chelsea, getting some cake~

Elijah warmed up to my uncle Jeff while watching "Horton Hears a Who"

Then, the engagement party. It was so much fun to be reunited with friends and parents of old friends, many of whom I had spent nights sleeping over, watching movies, and, well, growing up with in middle and high school. The highlight was of course seeing my friend Devon and meeting her fiance Jeff. Expectation of marital bliss was oozing from the both of them and it was clear that he adores her. I was so happy to have a few minutes to talk to them both. Then the craziness began. In the middle of conversation with Jeff, I felt my throat swelling. For those of you who don't know this about me, I have a severe tree nut allergy. I had eaten a corner of a brownie that wasn't plain as I had thought, but had some type of nut. In my lifetime, this has happened many many times. It has been the source of many trips to the ER. There are times, though, when benedryl is all I need. I quickly excused myself for a minute and took a dose of benedryl and tried to rejoin the party. Very soon thereafter, I realized that the benedryl wasn't working. I took another dose and headed to my parents home. Needless to say, around 30 minutes later I found myself in an ambulance on my way to the ER. (No pics of the party... I left in too much of a hurry...)

Hindsight is pretty amusing though. When my parents first started searching for some help by way of neighborhood friends that were first responders, I found myself confronted by highschool kids (also Chelsea's X... if you know what I mean) rushing into their house with oxygen tanks. Then, when 911 was called, every first responder within a 15 mile radius- some of whom were old acquaintances- came rushing in as well followed by the EMS. It was quite a production. The boys were cared for by my loving grandparents and were distracted by Rock Band in the next room. Let me say assuredly that if you are in Wilkes County, know that if there is an emergency, help is readily available! I felt very taken care of:) EMS had my reaction under control in minutes and by the time I made it to the ER, I was already recovering. Of all the scary experiences with allergic reactions I have had, this was one of the most memorable.

I returned to my parent's home before midnight to a sing-along in their living room with my aunt, cousin, and friends. Thankfully due to all the medication, I slept great that night and felt rested the next morning. The boys and I drove to Micah's family 45 minutes away. I really enjoyed our time together and so did Andrew and Elijah. They got more gifts and even a really cold ride on Micah's Dad's new John Deere tractor. It was also good to see my little nephew, Caleb and how much he has grown!

Nana and her grand-boys.

Aunt Amy and Elijah became good buds as well on this trip.

Then Tuesday came- our departure day. I was pretty groggy coming off all the medication I had been on by this time, but was anxious to get home to Micah. With a jump start of caffeine, we left around 1:30 p.m. and the drive was easy through beautiful Fancy Gap. The boys slept most of the afternoon and watched movies the rest of the time (travel DVD players are a fabulous invention!).
We made good time until we reached west of Charleston, WV. Around 6:00, we started seeing accidents on the interstate. First one, then two, then three, then four and five. Traffic finally came to a halt in Huntington. We sat on the interstate for about an hour when I decided to inch over and exit at the next ramp a few yards in front of me. I called Micah and decided to be really smart and take a road parallel to the interstate until I could find an unblocked exit ramp. I had a pretty good plan, and I had Micah on the phone with me helping navigate.

After going as far west as I thought I could, I headed back toward the interstate. I stopped short of the ramp on a bridge headed uphill a few yards from the exit ramp. I could see I-64 traffic in both directions from where I sat still completely stopped. What was the problem you may ask? I wondered the same thing until I opened my van door, stuck my foot out and slid on a think layer of ice on the bridge. I flagged down a passing police officer who informed me that the entire interstate through Lexington, KY was closed. The boys were getting restless, Elijah had a leaky diaper, and no one had had dinner. We finally made it with the help of another officer to the exit ramp headed back east hoping to make it two exits where there are hotels. We went one mile, then stopped again. I think this is when God just picked me up and carried me. It is a blur-waiting and waiting, creeping along the interstate, checking in at a hotel in the freezing rain, making three trips to the van to get all we needed for the night, eating snacks from the van and hotel vending machine for dinner, and finally lying down to sleep. I was so thankful as I rested that we weren't involved in any of the multiple traffic accidents around us. As much as I had been frustrated with the way the drive had turned out, I was quickly reminded that it could have been much worse.

The next morning, the boys and I enjoyed breakfast at the hotel. They thought our stay there was so much fun. I rode them around on the luggage cart and they thought the indoor swimming pool was especially cool. We left fairly early and arrived safely in Louisville just after lunch. The trip was over. Praise the Lord for safety, family and friends, medicine and EMS workers, and the everyday help of my husband which gives me strength and stamina for tough situations.

The Childs Go To the Theater

Micah's Christmas gift this year included tickets to see Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. We saw them at the Brown Theater in downtown Louisville on Dec. 6. There are entertainers in the music biz and then there are musicians. These guys are incredible at both. Each member of the band could easily hold an audience captive going solo. Together, they are incredible. No glamor, glitz, or sell-out attitude; just serious talent. It was also fun being in such an beautiful theater. They were joined by Tuvan Throat Singers from Siberia. Their sound is fascinating. My wish at the end of the concert was to have a few minutes to play around with Future Man's drum machine (the Drumatar?!?!)!
Tonight, Andrew and I had a date. We went to see Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" at The Actors Theater also downtown. He was such a little gentleman! He operated the elevator for Mommy, held the tickets, and handed them to the usher as we entered. This was Andrew's first experience with live acting. We were three rows from the front, so he was up close and personal with the cast. The story line was intriguing to him. Afterward, he and I talked about the means by which God uses to show us the sin in our hearts as well as the life of loving each other that Jesus exemplified and calls us to as we discussed the storyline. He also learned a lot about being an actor and working in a theater.

Tiffany's Tracks

I know saying this is totally taboo, but I am not a morning person. I am truly a night owl. I am not lazy in the mornings, just uncreative and totally robotic. To help me out, I am in the process of creating a play list for my Ipod that includes a morning mix of songs that will help me awake with purpose and hope each day. Some of the songs I am including so far are Fill My Heart (Twila Paris) and May the Words of My Mouth (Christy Nockels and Janna Potter) from a lullabies CD called Sing Over Me. Some of my very favorite music from a Keith and Kristin Getty CD called O Church Arise. Andrew and Elijah love it as well; especially the parts about battle and swords. The words are below.

O Church Arise

O church, arise and put your armor on;

Hear the call of Christ our captain;

For now the weak can say that they are strong

In the strength that God has given.

With shield of faith and belt of truth

We'll stand against the devil's lies;

An army bold whose battle cry is "Love!"

Reaching out to those in darkness.

~

Our call to war, to love the captive soul,

But to rage against the captor;

And with the sword that makes the wounded whole

We will fight with faith and valor.

When faced with trials on ev'ry side,

We know the outcome is secure,

And Christ will have the prize for which He died—

An inheritance of nations.

~

Come, see the cross where love and mercy meet,

As the Son of God is stricken;

Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet,

For the Conqueror has risen!

And as the stone is rolled away,

And Christ emerges from the grave,

This vict'ry march continues till the day

Ev'ry eye and heart shall see Him.

~

So Spirit, come, put strength in ev'ry stride,

Give grace for ev'ry hurdle,

That we may run with faith to win the prize

Of a servant good and faithful.

As saints of old still line the way,

Retelling triumphs of His grace,

We hear their calls and hunger for the day

When, with Christ, we stand in glory.

Next I am going to come up with a middle-of-the-day play list that includes from the same CD, Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer when I need perseverance and an end-of-the-day list that reminds me that in Christ there is much grace in The Power of the Cross. For those of you who are interested, you can go to http://www.gettymusic.com/ to read the lyrics and even hear samples of these songs as well. This music feeds the soul.

What We've Been Up To Lately

Micah and I took Andrew and Elijah (actually the boys and I took Micah) to the Kentucky Book Fair in Frankfort this past Saturday. We had a great time meeting KY authors and looking at their work. I especially enjoyed the photography books displaying the beauty of the Appalachian mountains. Micah had the best time, talking with historians and writers... and OF COURSE looking at all the BOOKS! Speaking of, did I mention that we have moved his library into our precious 900 sq.ft. apartment?!? Where you may ask? Well, everywhere!!!We needed to get them out of our damp storage space and now Micah feels like life as he knows it is normal again.

With an almost five year old a two year old, there aren't many quiet moment unless little ones are sleeping! There are so many funny conversations between the two of them lately. Micah and I just look at each other and laugh and laugh! We recently went to Longhorn Steakhouse for a late lunch/early dinner. The conversation turned to what we were eating. Micah asked Andrew what steak was made from and he quickly answered "cows!". Elijah quickly responded to Andrew's answer stating, "Not cows! Snake!" Our two year old thinks we eat snake. The next question was, naturally, "What animal are fries made from?" of course. Elijah didn't have an answer for that one.

I rented "The Pirates Who Don't do Anything" for the boys and they have been singing the theme song over and over as well as sword fighting with anything sword-worthy... for example, vacuum cleaner hoses, crayons, etc. Really anything will do when you are in a pinch for a sword. Here is a video of Elijah singing the theme song. Enjoy!

We are the pirates who don't do anything.

We just stay home and lay around.

And if you ask us to do anything,

We'll just tell you, we don't do anything!

Today, they are camping in their room. This is one of their favorite things to play, building tents, setting up sleeping bags, etc. Andrew and I just finished home school. Andrew is a great problem-solver. He has much of his mom in him; always believing there is a way to do anything... you just have to take the time to figure it out. He has successfully learned to write his letters up to "K" and is doing great with phonics(with help from Nana); even sounding out a few words and simple sentences. Elijah does phonics right along with us. He speaks with a "w" for a "r" sound, so I especially love when he says, "pa-pa-peaw" instead of "pa-pa-pear". Cute little baby talk seems to fade fast so I intend to enjoy it while it lasts.


Today during art, Andrew drew a great turtle and he wanted to share it with you as well.

Superhero & Princess Night

Chick-fil-a hosted a night for kids and adults to dress up for free food. The boys decided that Peter Pan was a good enough superhero for them! They both looked so cute. They were just disappointed that their costumes didn't also allow them to fly!

True Woman Conference

I was so privileged to be able to attend the True Woman '08 Conference with other ladies from my church this past weekend. I am so appreciative to to Micah for making all the arrangements and for Martha (Nana) and Mary for taking care of Andrew and Elijah while I was gone.

I have thought a lot about how I was going to write about this event. To be honest, I was unaware of the sincerity of the theme until the last day- last morning session. From what I learned from the speakers, back in the 50's there was a similar conference held in Chicago, attended by a number of women who embarked on an organized, militant attempt to show bitterness and anger toward men for the way they had been treated by them in the past. Let me make this first disclaimer- Women asking for equal rights has seemed entirely appropriate to me. I am aware that women were in some ways responding to true abuse at the hand of men that showed contempt for God's design for them as husbands, fathers, etc.. The ways women had defined themselves before this time wasn't necessarily biblical either, focusing on being domestic divas, controlling their husbands in different, less obvious ways. This campaign took on an equally sinful form, thus also skewing God's design for womanhood. I am still having my eyes opened to the results of feminism in my own life. The subtle ways it has shaped my perception of who I think I am is fascinating to me. Anyway, it was a momentous event; 6,000 women embarking on redefining womanhood based on the instruction of God's word.

I thought I might share from each speaker what I took away personally.

John Piper began the conference with a poignant, yet endearing message explaining how wimpy theology makes wimpy women. So much of what Pastor Piper says is worth noting, but I thought I would share his definition of a biblical woman and God's purpose for marriage.

"The ultimate meaning of biblical womanhood is a distinctive calling of God to display His glory and that of His Son in ways that would not be displayed if there were no womanhood."

I thought this simple, back to basics definition was entirely helpful and placed my identity at the center of God's purpose along with biblical manhood. Of course he fleshed this out through the lens of scripture. He then went on to talk about marriage and singleness. It was so good to be reminded that even before man sinned, even before God created anything, He had ordained marriage to show the relationship between His Son and His redeemed church.

I also appreciated many of the other speakers. The things I took away from them were as follows:

from Nancy Leigh DeMoss ~ I was reminded that my life is not my own and that God can be trusted as He knows all things with immeasurable wisdom and is most concerned with making my life a visible picture of grace.

from Mary Kassian ~ that you don't have to look like an ad for Brooks Brothers to be a biblical woman:)... and to be more aware of the ways the feminist movement has infiltrated our culture. Also, she again challenged me, along with Carolyn McCully to define womanhood the way God defines it in His word.

from Karen Loritts ~ to stop listening (my flesh) to myself and start talking (the truth) to myself. This lesson was particularly helpful to me practically!

from Janet Parshall ~ I remembered how much the story of Hannah in the book of 1 Samuel speaks to me in the remarkable testimony of a woman who trusted and honored the Lord above all. I am also reminded that my voice in not far from the ear of the Lord and how He is writing His story upon my whole life.

from Joni Erickson Tada ~ that my soul is not as frail as I would like to think and sometimes the not-so-lovely parts of me have to be painfully chiseled away. Also, I that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, even though my flesh is greatly affected by sin.

I was encouraged that as God "scripts" (Nancy Leigh De Moss) the story of my life and I respond to my lot and portion, may I be found faithful to the calling to honor the Lord in my womanhood by the grace and power of Jesus Christ.

I enjoyed the time I had to spend alone. This was the lake I walked around to get from my hotel to the conference center. It was such a beautiful part of the city. I think the best part of the whole thing was meeting precious women and getting to know them better from my church. The very best part was spending time with Cara!!!