Keith, Becca, Kate, & ???

The Yellow Field

2010-05-29T02:13:00.001-07:00

So apparently I only blog at ridiculous hours in the morning as it is again 5 am! I had a lot on my mind. It was of course nothing really important, but my mind fixates on something and then I am doomed to stay awake for the hours to follow.

It's almost June.

We are going to have a baby in June.

I really can't even wrap my mind around that.

It's been so weird with this pregnancy just how much this doesn't feel real! I don't know if it's because I stay so busy thinking about Kate and work and tiredness and Keith and whatever is going on, but I just really don't spend a lot of time thinking about this precious baby boy yet. Am I going to love him as much as I love Kate? Kate stole my heart and didn't give it back...is there anything left for junior? Other moms keep telling me yes, so I just have to wait to see if they are right. I don't have much longer to wait!

Kate's cousins are here right now and she is LOVING every second of it. Keith's fam (minus Jared his brother) is here! Kate hasn't seen them in a long time and she is just loving her Mimi, Papa, uncle Peter, aunt Erica, aunt Belinda, and her 3 little cousins. The hugging, kissing, and following like a little puppy will not stop. Makes my job pretty easy:) I'll have to see if I can't get a picture of all of the kids together. Kate will be the milky white one...her cousins are half asian:) We got to go to the aquarium yesterday and Kate would not stay with me or Keith, but had to have her Papa or uncle Peter hold her. It was precious. She doesn't usually like men, so I was really glad she took to them. I so wish we could see them more. If only Chicago weren't forever away!

And now that I have babbled aimlessly, I will give you something fun to look at. Feel free to skip all the words and go straight to these pictures. They have been on FB of course, but I could look at them a million times and never get tired of them. My mom did such a good job with these...

Here's a cute little animoto slideshow I just made!

5 A.M.

2010-05-06T03:09:00.000-07:00

It's funny how when you're pregnant you want and need as much sleep as possible, yet sleep remains elusive so many nights. So I lay in bed wishing I were snoozing but instead my mind keeps racing. I usually end up getting up at some ridiculous hour like 5 am. Now I know some of you are thinking "I do that every day, quit your whining!"...and I know I should, but I despise getting up early. God made me that way. Even if I've gotten a great 8 hours of sleep, getting up before 8 is painful for me. And I don't just feel it when I get up, I feel it all day long!

All that to say, getting up at 5 a.m. brought me here...back to my blog. I somehow decided that I didn't have time for blogging and started putting everything on Facebook, but now I realize the error of my ways! I need this blog to document my life in one place I can come back to. I want to remember so many things...like sweet little Kate and all her stages. She is so fun right now. She is one crazy toddler. Yes, that's right~ TODDLER! She is 18 months old and just really could not be any cuter, or any more fun. I mean really, there is no possible way she could be cuter. Well, OK, except when she wears pigtails, it somehow takes her cuteness up to a whole new level. I will give you one little picture to illustrate:

We just did a session of all 3 of us in this yellow field and this is one of my favorites. I won't make promises about more pictures in case I never blog again, because we all know my track record here:)

Things have been crazy lately! Not crazy bad, just busy. Keith started a new job back in February. He started right after returning from a 2 week mission trip to Honduras, and right after quitting his job with Outdoor, Inc. God really seemed to orchestrate the whole thing. One day we're talking about how badly we want to adopt but don't have the money, and then Keith casually mentions "oh, I have a job interview tomorrow". The next evening, he got the job! With the way the interview went, it seemed impossible that Keith would get the position. The guy who interviewed him flat out told him "I never hire anyone as young as you for this position!". I prayed and prayed that if God wanted this job for Keith, that God would just lay Keith on that guy's heart. Keith had to be chosen out of 40+ other applicants who were all older than him. But God answered my prayer and laid Keith on this man's heart and Keith was chosen above the rest (and of course he's better than the rest anyway. haha I'm kidding. but seriously. I know I know, I'm biased. Love will do that to you). With the way it all played out, we couldn't help but feel this job was what God wanted for us. His hand seemed to be in it and we praised Him for his faithfulness and kindness. And with all that said, we still praise God for his faithfulness and kindness, but we are at times wondering if this will be a job Keith stays with for very long. He is selling life and health insurance with a company called National Broker's Network. It's a great company, Keith gets to work from home, he's really good at it in so many ways, but so far it has started off slooooooooooooow. Apparently that is what happens in insurance sales...it takes awhile for your leads to make decisions to buy insurance.

So right now we are doing whatever it takes to do some hourly jobs here and there. Keith is remodeling our bathroom and gets paid to do that since this is my great aunt's house. I have gone back to work Tuesdays and Wednesdays and I take Kate to a Parent's Day Out program. I really enjoy working again, and it gives Kate and me a nice break from the norm. When the bathroom is done Keith will probably look for another job of that sort. He's so stinkin' talented at stuff like that. God made him that way. Yes, Keith learns some stuff as he goes, but he also just naturally gets it. He is a true handyman who just gets how things work and how to take them apart and put them back together again. I however get frustrated with the littlest things after 1 minute and want someone to show me how to do it (aka do it for me). Keith wants to figure it out for himself and does. All that to say, things are busy around here.

Already I can see just how much good has come from this though. First of all, I'm not worried. I'm not worried about money. God is so stinkin' faithful and has never failed to provide. In fact, I have never been without a meal. I have never been without a roof over my head. I have never been without clothes, or family, or friends, or things I want, and I have certainly never been without LOVE. I don't know why the Lord has shown me such kindness, but I PRAISE Him for it. And even if He decides to take those things away, I know He is faithful. I know He loves me as my sweet and kind father. I love that he addressed this sort of thing so specifically, knowing how His children struggle with fear:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:24-34

And not only do I not have to worry, but I know God will work it for good. He promises that in Romans 8 to those that love Him and are called by Him. I do love Him. I am called by Him. My life would never have been so changed if it weren't for His work in my heart, done by His work on the cross. I wish I always lived up to that calling, but He is good to me regardless. Loving fathers do that. No matter how awful their children can be sometimes, their love never fails. One good thing that has already come from this insecurity we are feeling in this new job is that my love for Keith has grown exponentially. I guess I just appreciate him even more seeing the weight on his heart to provide for his family. He is working so hard. I really am so proud of him. He's around more too, so of course my love for him would grow more:) But really, there aren't many men out there like him. I could not be more blessed in a husband.

So we're gonna have another baby in about 7 weeks. We're having a boy this time as many of you already know. We haven't decided on a name, so for now he is "junior". And who knows, he may end up being a junior. We'll see. Kate has no idea how much life is about to change! I think she'll be great with a little brother though. You should see this girl with other babies. She loves to hug them and squeeze them and knock them over with kisses. She will have to learn to be gentle though. I've got my work cut out for me! I can't wait to see the day when those 2 cuties will play together. I hope they will be friends. My brain is starting to get kinda fuzzy, so I'm gonna stop typing now.

And now that I am thinking I want to go back to sleep, it is 7 am. Goodnight!

Kate videos!!

2009-05-24T15:06:00.000-07:00

To make up for my lack of blogging, here is a special little treat for ya. It's Kate on video! These are just a few snippets of all the video footage we have of the little munchkin, but I hope you enjoy them!

Here is sweet little Kate when she was soooo new. Oh how I loved that new little baby.

Here is Kate yackin' away on the phone at 2 months old. They grow up so fast...

Here is Kate getting oinched by her daddy (and loving it!):

Disclaimer: I promise Keith is not naked in this video. You just can't see his shorts.

Kate does funny things while she's eating. She growls at me. She's an animal:

Seriously, an animal:

This is by far my favorite video. She laughs every once in awhile, but never this much. She thought my fake sneezes were hysterical!

Kate at 5 Months

2009-04-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

Oh Kater-mater. I know you've all missed her. Her mommy is a blog-slacker, it's true. But thankfully her grandmother (aka Honey or Liz Power) took some sweet pictures of her a few weeks ago. So here they are!

This one might be my favorite. She loves to chew on her toes.

Daddy was being sooo funny:
She loves to stick out her tongue:

Oooh punkin face:

A Sweet Giveaway

2009-03-28T20:39:00.001-07:00

No, it's not a giveaway from me, but it's one from this AWESOME bag designer Meghan Cobble of KMac Creations. I follow her blog and she is constantly doing SWEET giveaways. She is super cool and creative, and just plain funny. You should follow her blog, too. And if you enter your name in the giveaway, and then tell people about it on your blog, your name is entered 6 times! You should do it (or not, so that my chances of winning are even higher. I'm kidding...but seriously...).

Go here to her blog to enter your name in. But it ends sooooon so hurry!!!

Funny Things

2009-03-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

Since I'm in the mood for humor, I thought I'd share a couple videos that I have enjoyed lately from You Tube. I hope you think they are as funny as I do, and as funny as my hickie.

This one is legendary. This song aired on The Mornin' Show, a local program carried by NBC affiliate WTVA in Tupelo, Mississippi. It is worth watching every single minute of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYqM9-Fj0Pg

This one my friend Blair showed me. It is a little girl with a great imagination. She's narrating a book about Kittens:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtX8nswnUKU

That's all:)

My first Hickie...

2009-03-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

In my 25 years of life, I have never (to my knowledge) had a hickie. I don't even know how to spell hickie. It could be hickey. Or maybe it's hickee. I don't know, and I've never had to care, because I've never had one.

Enter Kate. Look a this sweet little creature in all her sweet sleepiness. How could anything so SWEET...

...with those sweet wittle wips....

do something like this?????
Yes, that is a hickie. The short story is that after Kate finishes eating, I put her up on my shoulder to burp her. It never fails, that she plants her sweet little mouth on my face or jaw, and sucks away because she is sad to be done eating (to which I usually just chuckle and remove the little suction cup from my face). I mean, I understand...I'm always sad when I'm done eating, too. But I've certainly never given anyone a hickie over it. Thanks a lot Kate.

Sarah & Jason are engaged!!

2009-03-06T07:02:00.001-08:00

Hey everybody! I know you've been wondering if I've dropped off the face of the earth. Well in some ways I do feel that way. Kate and I have just been here at the house workin' hard. I'm not sure why I fell off the blogging wagon...though I have picked up a few new hobbies that I will post about later. For now, I must stick with the top news for today! That's right, this one is a headliner. My good old buddy Jason proposed to my dear sweet friend Sarah last night!!!! To which she of course said YES! We are all so excited for them!! They have been dating for about 3 and 1/2 years, and Keith especially has been obnoxiously hounding Jason to propose to Sarah. But God's timing is way better than ours (or Keith's). Jason just recently got a full time position at TVA, and moved into his first home. So of course, what could complete this picture better than Sarah??? I can't think of anything. Jason invited us all over last night to celebrate their engagement at his house.

Happy girl:

I'm the idiot who took this picture without carefully focusing. But it's sharp enough for you to see its radiant beauty:The "Bend and Snap":
This one reads "LOOK WHAT I GOT!"All of us girls with our bling...except me. I jammed my finger so I wasn't wearing mine, but we felt that Kate symbolized my marriage, so she is my bling:Here's the happy couple giggling like little school girls:
Happy:
When asked what Sarah's plans are when her lease expires in July, Raynold's offered her a place to stay. Tempting offer.
Sure thing, Chris, but Jason might kill you.
Here's what Sarah and Alex did when they first saw each other. Check out Sarah's hair:Sleepy Kate was there:
Alex and Forrest worked on Calculus:
Emily & David spooned on the couch (newlyweds):
Hunter and Elizabeth (Jason's brother and brother's fiance). Two engaged couples in one family:
Lounging in Jason's living room...no, this is not from 30 years ago, Jason's furniture is just "vintage". This room is in need of a woman's touch:
Ok, picture this with Sarah in white, and us in black, and all of us holding flowers, and that will be AUGUST 8TH!!!!
My girls:
Silliness:
Cake!
Ice Cream!
"Kate, did you hear that Jason and Sarah are engaged???"
"They want you to be their flower girl!!"

"Oooooh Jason, I love you sooooo much...do we have to wait till August 8th to get married?"

More Kate Pictures!

2009-02-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

Over the month of January I have taken a few pictures of Kate here at the house. Some of them are little milestones that I wanted to document, and some of them are just her being cute. Enjoy!

This is the first time she was playing in this thing. She really loves it. Mr. Frog has really become a close friend. She talks to him and grabs him, and tries to stick him in her mouth.

So happy!
Not so happy:)

Oh drooly:

I love these of her feet because this day when I took these it was like she had discovered her feet for the first time. She kept lifting her legs and staring at her feet and holding her legs up by her thighs. I thought it was cute.

She sits up so good in her bumbo chair!

Here we are in the studio. Mom took these because I thought our matchy outfits were fun. Yes, I am one of those moms who wants to dress my baby like me. Don't judge me:

This one is from when I lifted up the blanket that was covering her in her car seat, and this is what I found! Haha. She didn't even care is the funny part.

My cheek looks chubby like hers...but mostly because I was blowing on her chubber.

Kate's 3 month pictures!!!!!

2009-01-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

Diana came on Friday to do Kate's 3 month pictures at our house! I'm so grateful to her for sacrificing her time to come and capture such precious pictures of Kate. She's so talented and she did such a good job. And I'm completely obsessed with the results. If you want to see all of them, check out this slideshow here.

I wuv her wittle wips in this picture: (Sorry, when I see Kate, the baby talk comes out)
Hewwo cheekers:
If you're happy and you know it...(we sing that song a lot)
Oh I never want to forget kissing those sweet chubby cheeks:
Kate loves to play with this thing:
Head control!! And a cute wittle bunny wunny hat:
Ahhhhh! Sooooo cute:
Maddie and Kenna helped with the shoot, too. They made Kate smile which makes me smile:

The Fear of the Lord

2009-01-24T08:24:00.001-08:00

I just read this on Carolyn Mahaney's blog. She is the author of a book Emily, Sarah, and I are reading called "Feminine Appeal" and the main gist of the book is learning to become a godly woman, wife, and mother. The book is REALLY good, and her blog has great stuff too. I just read this post that was a response to an email a teenage girl wrote in. It totally applies to me, and to what I want to teach Kate as she grows. I would love to be able to model this for her:

The Beginning of Wisdom

Ana sent us an email yesterday:

Hey girltalk ladies!

I am a teenage girl and enjoy your blog so much. It has been helpful to be reminded of what I need to do now. In the blog you mentioned that teenage girls should be planting seeds. Do you have any examples of things that would be planting seeds?

Thanks!

Your eagerness to make the best use of your teen years is commendable, Ana!

To learn what are the most important seeds to plant in the springtime of your life, our first stop is Proverbs—wisdom written especially for young people. It says that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (1:7). The fear of the Lord is the unique mark of the godly young woman; the most important quality for her to pursue.

What is the fear of the Lord? you may ask. “It’s better described than defined” says author Jerry Bridges. So let me tell you about the girl who fears the Lord:

She’s the girl who knows her God:

She experiences a profound sense of awe at the thought of God, the creator of the universe who is “sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up” (Isa. 6:1).

She trembles with dread and wonder before the perfect, pure, and holy Lord of all “who will by no means clear the guilty (Ex. 34:7).

She marvels at the undeserving love and mercy of Jesus Christ who “is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression” (Num. 14:18).

She delights in the perfect wisdom of God, the beauty and order of His universe, the unfathomable perfection of His plan of salvation, and His loving supervision of every detail of her life.

Her awe of God results in obedience to Him:

She seeks the Lord and delights in God’s Word (Ps. 1:2).

She hates evil. She doesn’t’ admire those who love it (Prov. 8:13). That’s why she doesn’t flirt with a guy or lie to her parents or cheat on a test or gossip about others or worry about what people think about her.

She confesses her sin, serves in secret, cultivates inner beauty, humbly embraces God’s plan for her life, and trusts Him no matter what.

You recognize her because:

She is full of joy, peace, and hope for the future (Prov 10:27).

She has a strong confidence (Prov. 14:26), rest and satisfaction (Prov. 19:23), and contentment in God’s care and provision (Ps. 34:9).

She’s the one to whom God and man give praise (Prov. 31:30-31).

2008???

2009-01-22T18:38:00.001-08:00

Sooo, I know this is kinda late, but I had to blog about all that other stuff first and it took a REALLY long time. So back off! Now that we've settled that, I miss 2008. It was such a good year and it went by wayyyyy too fast. Let's see, in 2008 I got pregnant in January, found out in February, celebrated my 24th birthday in March (uneventful number I know), went to Las Vegas for the first time in March, spent the whole summer getting bigger and bigger, went to Wisconsin and rode in a car from one coast of the state to the other in July, became closer friends with Emily and David in August, had my beautiful baby in October, had my first Thanksgiving at home since college in November, had a tacky Christmas sweater party with our best of friends in December as well as spending two fabulous weeks in Chicago. I'd say that's a pretty stinkin' awesome year (and that's a pretty stinkin' long run-on sentence).

For 2009 I am thinking of so many things that I want for my family and myself. It's a little overwhelming all the things I wish I could resolve to do or be better at...so I'll tell you those first. Then I'll tell you the actual things I plan on implementing for 2009. The list of "I wish" is as follows (in no particular order):

1. I wish I would be a better, more thoughtful friend to those I am already close with, and a better more thoughtful friend to those I only have occasional contact with. I wish I pursued others and encouraged them.
2. I wish I would read lots of books instead of wasting time.
3. I wish I would be a better blogger.
4. I wish I would be good about taking personal pictures and printing them and posting them.
5. I wish I would be super organized and keep my house super neat (eh, maybe I wish that I wished that. Know what I mean?)
6. I wish I would memorize more scripture.
7. I wish I would tell people more often how amazing it is that an innocent man died so that I don't have to experience the wrath of God, even though I am the one that deserves it.
8. I wish that fact would just radiate into and radically change every area of my life.
9. I wish I would be the wife of my sweet husband's dreams.
10. I wish I would be a loving mommy (that's pretty easy right now having the sweetest baby ever).
11. I wish I would not be so vain (I know that one is getting a little personal...but it's true. I'm vain. I don't like it about myself, ok??)
12. I wish I would be selfless.
13. I wish I would be really careful with money and not be wasteful.
14. I wish I kept in better touch with my Grandmothers.

Ok, maybe I should move some of those to my "I'm going to do this" list. Here's that list (it's short so as not to be unrealistic!):

1. I resolve to read my MaCarthur Daily Bible. My mommy bought it for me and it is a Bible with a little bit of commentary, that is split up into days so that you can easily read through the bible in a year. I don't want to be too unrealistic and say that I will do it every day, but I at least want to keep up with it well. So far I'm doing pretty good, and I LOVE it. It has helped with resolution #2.

2. I resolve to pray more. (I know I'm getting personal again...but I struggle with this one. I so badly want a deeper relationship with Christ but so often just ignore that and do my own thing. I'm a sinner, I know).

3. I resolve to eat healthier. (This one may be a bit vain...I want to lose the baby weight! But also I want to be a good steward of the body God gave me. Ok, maybe I just want that to be why I'm eating healthier...sheesh.)

4. I resolve to visit my Mimi & Great Aunt Dedi more often. They live next door to my parents and I so could just stop by and say hi more often. Also, I resolve to email Grandmother more. She lives in Atlanta and is actually internet savvy. She may even read this blog post! Hey Grandmother!

Ok, I'm gonna try to cut my list off here. Otherwise I'll get too overwhelmed and be frustrated and we wouldn't want that. So far the only one I really haven't done well in is the fourth one, so I am going to start being better starting tomorrow at that one. Hold me accountable blog friends!

On another note, Kate wanted me to let you all know what her resolutions are for the year. We sat down this morning over a cup of coffee and made a list (Ok, neither of us drink coffee. Kate had milk, and I had OJ. ;) Her list is as follows:

This year, I, Kate Rocha, resolve to:
1. Roll over
2. Laugh out loud
3. Learn to appreciate peek-a-boo
4. Sit-up without mommy or daddy's assistance
5. Make mommy laugh and/or smile EVERY day
6. Same for daddy
7. Crawl
8. Give daddy an eskimo kiss (Ok, that was Keith's resolution for her.)
9. As soon as I'm able to crawl, get into everything that I shouldn't
10. Have my picture taken a LOT
11. Take my first steps, and eventually walk on my own.
12. Say my first word (besides "coo". That one doesn't count)
13. Give my mommy and daddy more joy than they ever thought possible

Phew! That is quite the exhaustive list. But don't worry everybody, I warned her that New Year's Resolutions can be hard to keep and can be overwhelming, but my girl's strong. Lord willing, I believe she will meet every one of those goals this year.

So I guess this is goodbye 2008. You were a good year to us, but all good things must come to an end. If 2009 is filled with just a fraction of the blessings that God gave us in 2008, we certainly won't complain (but will continue to give thanks to Him, because as He always says "Every good and perfect gift is from above").

The End. No Pictures...can you believe it???

Rocha Family Christmas

2009-01-18T12:44:00.000-08:00

Keith and I every year so far have had the privilege of spending 2 weeks every Christmas in Chicago with Keith's family. Not only is it a relaxing vacation for us, but it's also really good family time. Keith and I have always marveled that we both come from families that really enjoy each other's company and genuinely love each other. Our families really have a lot of similarities...we're laid back, love to make each other laugh, love to hang out with each other...things like that. One reason we knew we were MFEO (meant for each other:) is because we loved and fit in so well with one another's families. This year was especially fun though because it was Kate's first Christmas, first trip to Chicago, and first time to meet her Rocha great-grandparents. It really was a wonderful trip. And...we got snow! Down here in Chattanooga we don't see snow very much...especially not the kind of snow that accumulates in inches! It was fun. Anyways, I was so relaxed on this trip (or lazy if you prefer to be blunt), that I literally took zero pictures...so I had to steal them all from Erica's blog:) Thanks Erica!

Here we are on Christmas eve. We open all our presents on Christmas eve after we sing carols and read the Christmas story from Luke 2 (all after we have a huge dinner featuring Grandma's famous meatballs and "Lefsa").

Sitting at the dinner table. This is the one place we're sure to get in quality time together. Belinda's friends joined us on Christmas Eve. They are the 2 girls closest to the camera...everyone else of course is family.

Erica got this picture...my girl makes some awesome faces. I love the placement of the bottle too. Here, she looks a bit possessed.
My man with my girl...as usual:)
Squeezing on the couch to sing, read, and open presents!
The kids got some cute new PJs for Christmas. Here are the girls playin' in 'em.And huggin' in 'em. Selah's PJs were just a smidge too big. I love this picture of the girlies:

Here we are on Christmas Day at Aunt Sue's. The boys were being entertained by Lego's. We also had the Wii out which was our family gift from my mother and father in law. Belinda and Kayleigh...not sure why Kayleigh is making that face. She makes good faces too:
Kate being held by her Great Grandma Porter!

Erica and Selah...so pretty!
Beautiful Kayleigh in her Christmas dress. Here's a fun story for ya: Kayleigh went into the bathroom by herself here at Aunt Sue's. When she leaned over the sink to try to wash her hands, her hair apprarently brushed the candle that was lit on the counter-top. Poor little Kayleigh's hair caught fire and she (Praise the Lord!) put it out all by herself. She came out of the bathroom and told her mommy "the fire tried to get me!". It was then that we noticed/smelled the synged hair.
Ann got this shirt for Christmas because in her words "I used to think Chuck Norris was a beautiful man". As a little joke, Erica picked this shirt out for her. It says "Chuck does all my stunts":
A few days after Christmas we went downtown to Navy Pier for this HUGE "Winter Wonderland". It was a child's dream come true...and due to it's size, maybe worst nightmare. Here are Manny and Ann in front of the Ferris Wheel. It was freeeeezing down by Lake Michigan.
Inside Navy Pier there are these cool water things that shoot over your head. They're so romantic...jk:
The kiddies all bundled. Kate was seriously bundled up which put her to sleep.

Later we realized she was so bundled that she was sweating. So we had to cool her off a bit. She didn't wake up:
I was hungry...and Erica got this *hot* picture of me devouring popcorn.Here's a little peak of Winter Wonderland. This tree was HUGE!!!

The kids were entertained by their uncles: (Jared with Kayleigh and Malachi)Keith with Selah:

Manny, Erica, Jared, and Keith. Can you see the family resemblance?
Malachi has a sweet mohawk right now:We went to this fun restaurant downtown that is famous for being rude. That's right, these servers are told to heckle their customers! Ann had fun being rude back when we had to wait forever to get seated:)

Haha!
He's got skillz:

Sooooo cute:
It looks like Malachi is holding her and has a really big hand. Haha:
Always time for snuggling. We made Kate a little bed in the window behind us. She just layed there the whole dinner.
Here we are back at home...Selah being cute as usual:

New Years Eve!! Erica and Peter had a really fun party with all the people from their Bible study and some from church. We played catch phrase...love that game:

Countdown! I was the annoying one in the back counting down the whole minute.

First pic of 2009!!! From left to right: Betsy, Adam, Erica, Peter, Me, Keith (and Kate), Cathy, Tyler, Jen, & Derek! Fun group.

Power Family Christmas at the Lake House

2009-01-14T19:01:00.000-08:00

From the title I'm sure you can figure out what this post is about! The weekend before Christmas my family (my maiden name is Power...how cool is that last name??) gathered at the Lake House to celebrate together. I love my family so much. By the Grace of God, we really enjoy each other's company. We know how to make each other laugh and we're all so comfortable around one another. My brother John and his wife Lizzie were there which was a treat because they live the furthest away. The rest of us are here in Chattanooga while they live in Louisville, Kentucky. We miss them greatly, especially since Eliot, their precious 1 yr. old is growing up so fast! Speaking of Eliot, here is a recent video of him. He just started walking. He's so funny:

But back to the Lake House weekend! My dad put together this slideshow. It will bless your heart. It's all the pictures from the weekend! Click here to see it.

Here are a few that stood out to me:

Mom took these from a window upstairs. So cool:
Look at my stud:
My daddy's a stud too:
Keith hates these headbands...but how cute is my little girl??
This was in Louisville, so Keith and I weren't there for this. But he is so cute:
Hahaha! Priceless:

Guilty Verdict

2009-01-13T09:10:00.000-08:00

When I was 19 years old I stopped putting my trust in myself and others, and fully placed my trust in Christ. I had to go make a lot of stupid decisions before I realized that Christ was the only right one. He alone could save me in this life, and for the next one. I read this post on Stephanie Blackiston's blog and wanted to share it because it really resonated with me. I couldn't agree more and wish I could say it as eloquently...but since that would take awhile to try, I'll just copy hers:) She put her email at the bottom, and you could seriously email her if you wanted to. She's cool like that. You could email me too of course (beccajrocha@gmail.com). Anyways, here's what she said:

Guilty Verdict

"For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point,
he is guilty of all."

James 2:10
I heard this verse today and have been thinking about it since. GUILTY. GUILTY. GUILTY.
Apart from Christ, I was guilty.
What is this law we are guilty of? It is God's Holy standard. This means if you have broken one single law in the Bible, you are guilty of breaking all of them.
Not that all sins are equal, but all sins condemn us. There aren't degrees of guilty. One single sin tips the scale.
Many people think they are "good" or that they can undo their bad works by doing good works.
Well, not according to God's Word. That is a scary assumption to make when you are thinking of eternity. And, how good is good enough? How can you ever know? What if you are one good work short? I think we have a really difficult time seeing our guilt because our culture tells us we are inherently good.
The truth is if you have EVER broken one of God's laws you are guilty. And even if you think you never have, there is even worse news... we were born with a sin-tainted blood line thanks to Adam and Eve. That is the BAD news.
Here is the GOOD news.
"This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins."
1 John 4:10
"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."
Romans 5:8
"For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
John 3:16,17
Christ, out of His great love for you, came to reverse this verdict. He lived a sinless life in order
to die in your (and my) place. His life and death were the only Sacrifice that could give us the opportunity to be eternally forgiven.
Wasn't there some other way?
No. Or that cup in the garden would have passed.
"He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."
Matthew 26:39
There was no other way, there is no other name...
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name [apart from Jesus] under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12
***********
I know these posts are heavy. But I think time is short. I know our days are numbered and until my last number, I am to share the gospel and speak of God's great love for you.
I realized on Nov 1, 1996, that I was a sinner and was in great need of a Savior. I am still a sinner and still have great need for my Savior but that is when I was 'born again'.
"...Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
John 3:3
When I gave my life to Christ, it really felt like I had been 'born again'. As dumb as this sounds, the grass was greener, the flowers prettier, the moon brighter, the colors more vivid. I also gained a new family- the family of God. I started going to Church and have made amazing friendships with other believers during the last 12 years. I was, at that moment, declared INNOCENT. Because of HIM. Because, at that moment, I was 'hidden in Him'.
"...and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
Colossians 3:3
I do not fear judgment day. I know, by God's grace and free gift to me, I am INNOCENT before God. Now that is AMAZING GRACE!
How can we not share what God has done for us? and what He desires to do for others?
Run to Him. Ask Him to forgive you and make you clean.
If you do that, please email me so I can help you get started in your relationship with Christ.
tsblackiston@comcast.net
"For we will all stand before God's judgment seat"
Romans 14:10

Atlanta Christmas

2009-01-12T16:37:00.000-08:00

The very next morning after our Sweater Party, Keith and Kate and I headed to Atlanta to celebrate Christmas with my mom's side of the family. Almost all of us were able to make it (except for Todd, John, Lizzie, and Eliot). We are close to my mom's family there. My Grandmother lives with Uncle Jack and Aunt Claudia. My Aunt Lynne lives about 5 minutes from them. My cousin Adrian (Jack's oldest daughter) lives about 15 minutes from them. Adrian is married to Kylie and has two little munchkins: Lily and Ryan. My cousin Jamie unfortunately wasn't there though because she lives in Oregon:( Bummer. All of our Atlanta family could be described as kind, generous, caring, and laid-back. They're wonderful. We pretty much just sat around and ate food...what could be better than that?

Here's Adrian, Ryan, and Grandmother:

Parker was very excited about this gingerbread cookie that he decorated with the help of uncle Keith. He's so cute:
Here's Lily! She is such a sweet and precocious girl. And as you can see she's beautiful:
And here's my beautiful girl:Kenna, Maddie, and Parker with the DS. They're obsessed:

This is my favorite picture from the trip. Here's my uncle Jack holding Kate while she sleeps. Jack was afraid to move so he just laid there with her...though I don't think he minded just having to lay there. I love how the paci is resting on Jack's belly.
Just found some more pictures:
Here's Ryan! He's so stinkin' cute:
Like I said, we just sat around...and some of us slept (Jessica):
Sooooo stinkin' cute:

Christmas Party

2009-01-12T16:29:00.001-08:00

We had a little Christmas party with our friends. We all wore Christmas sweaters. Correction: *Awesome* Christmas sweaters.

Todd wore one of his mom's sweaters. It had shoulder pads.
David dressed up as Uncle Eddie from Christmas Vacation.
From left to right on the back row: Todd, Kristin, Anna, and Sarah...Front row: David, Emily, and me:

Here's a little close up of Emily's sweater...and her curtsy:We did a little White Elephant Gift Exchange. This is the Tea Pot that Sarah got. It was quickly stolen though, because who wouldn't want a Santa Tea Pot?

Kate didn't have a sweater at our party. She was nakey:

I love my friends. They're so fun.

The Weekend Before Thanksgiving

2009-01-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

How could I forget to post this before my Thanksgiving post? The weekend before Thanksgiving we had such an awesome trip up to the Simpson's Lake House up in Lake City, Tennessee. By "we" I mean the Geyers, the Simpsons, and us. Also, the Beichler family spent Saturday with us. The mom of this family, Rachel, was one of Diana's best friends in high school. She used to spend summers with us. They are a precious fam. We had such a fun time. I can't remember much more than that...except that we all did family pictures for our own Christmas cards. Oh, and it was relaxing and low key. And we played a few games...ok, they played games (Settlers of Catan...of which I am not a big fan. I love to rhyme if you haven't gotten that yet.)

But here are pictures:)

Interpret as you see fit:

The Geyers with the Simpson kids (from left to right, David, Emily, Kenna, Satch, Maddie, and Parker):

Doin' a little dance:

Emily took these next four pics! I love them!! Look at Kate smiling in her cousin Kenna's arms:This face cracks me up:

Sweet sleepy laugh:

Oh, and I stole these off Diana's blog:

I looove this one:
And this one...that's Satch perched on the stairs in the background:
This little red-head just blesses my heart.

See what i mean?

Here's Rachel's sweet family I was talking about!

These kids are too cute:

Thanksgiving (in January!)

2009-01-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, since I'm on this blogging kick and since Kate is napping, I'm going to go back in time to tell you about my holidays! I figured I should start with Thanksgiving since it goes the furthest back. The end of the year is really my favorite. Fall has a special place in my heart because the weather starts getting to be delightful (anything is better than nasty-hot summer) and now also because my sweet baby was born in the fall. But another reason is because it marks the beginning of the "Holiday season" of which I am a huge fan. It means we get to spend oodles of time with family...especially Keith's family with whom we rarely get to spend time due to their living 10 hours away in Chicago. For this Thanksgiving though, they had to come see us since Kate was only a month old and I was not ready to travel! We had such an amazing time uniting both of my families together to celebrate Thankfulday. I was truly thankful for it:) Manny, Ann, Belinda, Jared, and a distant cousin named Andy (she's from Norway...she's an awesome girl) stayed at our house. Erica, Peter, Malachi, Kayleigh, and Selah all stayed at Emily and David's house (Em and Dave went to Ohio and graciously offered their home to my peeps! Love them). During the day we would gather at my house which I really enjoy. I love having a full house of family. It's the best. The weather was so great though we were able to be outdoors lots which was perfect for the young ones with lots of energy (and Peter). Here's a few images for ya:

Here's just about everybody...we ate at Mom and Dad's in the studio at one HUGE table. There were 22 of us I think:
My favorite red-headed nephew:
Rocha side meets Power side...Kayleigh and Malachi (Keith's sister Erica's kids) played with my sister Diana's kids). Malachi and Parker really hit it off. They couldn't remember each other's names though and referred to one another as "buddy" or "friend". Cute:
My girl doing what she loves the most (besides eating):
Back at Honey and Poppy's...we put Kate on this little ottoman behind the couch, and Selah and Satchel were peaking over the couch at her. It blessed my heart:
The day after Thanksgiving we had a family picture done down by the pond. Love them.
Me and my girl:
Mom made this. She was inspired by Kate's swirly on top of her head.

Poppy holding his 6th grandchild:

I love when she sleeps with her little hand by her face:
In order: Selah, Peter, Kayleigh, Malachi, and Erica Hang: (and yes, Peter is wearing an awesome Dunder Mifflin shirt):
Satch must have been falling asleep in the car. He's Diana's youngest:
Here is my gorgeous sister-in law Belinda (a.k.a. "Bailey" or "Bubba" or "Beezer" or "B" or "Munchkin"). She's 14 and a freshmen in high school. And we'll kill any boys that get near her:) I'm kidding. But seriously...
And here's everybody!! Powers on the left, Rochas on the right. My two worlds unite!

My Sweet Husband

2009-01-08T06:29:00.000-08:00

There are so many things that I love about Keith. I stop and think all the time about how awesome God is to have let me marry him. There is one thing about him in particular that recently has just made me love him even more, so I thought I would share.

Keith is an amazing dad. He is so crazy about Kate and is always hands on with her...and has been since minute one of her life. I know, I know, he hasn't exactly gotten tons of time in as a dad yet, but part of the reason I say that is because I know he will continue to be an amazing dad as Kate gets older and older. One reason I am certain of that is because of the attention he gives my nieces and nephews! He is constantly playing with them and entertaining them (while meanwhile the rest of us adults are sitting on the couch or doing our own thing...lazy bums:).

Here are the two loves of my life snuggling...this is a common scene:

Anytime I ask Keith to change a diaper or get something for Kate, his answer is always "I would love to."

Here is Keith with my nieces and nephews...
Roughhousing...always.
Building gingerbread houses...he probably was really just eating the goods;)
Laughing with Eliot:
Now this one may be a little selfish, but here he is playing the Nintendo DS against Maddie. But he's holding Kate in the process:)
Again, the DS, and this time with my little 2nd cousin Lily:
Here he is throwing little Selah in the air:

He's just precious. I love you Keith!

Baby Kate Update!

2009-01-07T13:16:00.000-08:00

I love that there are so many words that rhyme with Kate. (late, date, mate, bait, hate, state, procrastinate, rate, katekate bo bait, bananafana fo fate, me my mo mate...I sing that to her a lot).

On another note, here are some fun facts about Kate these days:

She has gotten to be quite chubby. She comes by it honestly (see below).
She likes to eat (thus the chubbiness).
She has many nicknames (Katie is NOT one of them). Some of them are: "shmoopy-poo", "sneezy Mcsneezerton", "chubby chubster", "punkin" (our top fave), "sugar-booger", and "squishy".
She now gets fussy when she is tired. She will cry for almost exactly 10 minutes, and then fall asleep (I included this one because she is doing this right now upstairs).
She is very good about making eye contact. She'll occasionally even smile...we're still waiting on a little chuckle.
She had her first cold and handled it like a champ without complaining once. She only choked and vomited 6 times.
She had an ice cold bath in Chicago b/c the hot water ran out and she did not make a peep.
She has 2 chins.
She spit up in Emily's mouth as Emily came in for a smooch.
Spit up has a tendency to get lost in her neck rolls. Sometimes she lets me find it days later.
She almost weighs 13 pounds, and last time she was measured she was 22.5 inches...but I know she's grown since then b/c she no longer fits in 0-3 clothing! (my little chunker)
We had to take her pacifier away and found out she's cool without it!
Sometimes she'll spend 5 minutes rotating her head to the left, then to the right, then back to the left, back to the right...left, right, left, right...you get the idea.
She has a propensity for toe jam and finger jam.
She immediately falls asleep in the car.
She's the most awesome, sweetest thing ever.

To illustrate how Kate resembles her mommy, here is me as a baby:

PEACE!

Here are some recent pictures of Kate:

Baby Kate is one month old.

2008-11-20T13:05:00.000-08:00

It's completely unreal that Kate has been here for a month. Our little tiny baby is getting bigger and growing so fast. I already want it to slow down. I never want her to change. I cherish every single second I get with her. I never knew I could feel the way I felt the second she was placed in my arms. The emotions were so powerful that I lost all control and ugly cried. The thought that God allowed Keith and me to be a part of the process of bringing life into the world just blows me away. I'm so crazy about this new little person.

Giving birth to Kate was the single most amazing experience of my life. The process started October 15th around 6pm when we were having dinner at my sister Jessica's house. I started having contractions that felt a little different from any of the practice ones. I didn't want to get my hopes up though because I was so ready for Kate to be out of my tummy and in my arms. But sure enough every 10 minutes another one would come...and around 8:00 I started timing them. By 9:30 they were 6 minutes apart and getting a little bit stronger. I still didn't want to get too excited just in case it was a false alarm! After all, her due date was the 16th and not that many babies come on their expected date. So Keith and I packed up and got all ready just in case we had to leave in a hurry. I of course felt like we had to have EVERYTHING in order around the house to bring our baby home. I asked Keith to fix the guest bathroom toilet...and that went horribly wrong. The toilet literally split in half. I meanwhile ran the dishwasher, only to find it filling the house with smoke hours later because of a plastic lid that melted on the heating element. Needless to say, it was a little stressful getting ready to leave for the hospital...especially since my contractions were growing stronger and stronger! We tried to rest in bed for the labor that was about to take place...but yeah right. There was no resting for me. So we went to the hospital around 12:30 am. I was 4.5 cm when we got there and I didn't really progress for an hour. They wanted to send me home, but I wouldn't let them! Thankfully, Diana and Keith convinced me to be admitted and get some drugs!! I don't know what I would do without their help making decisions that night. So first they got the IV hooked up...which was the single most traumatic event of my life. But, this meant I could have drugs. As soon as I got some pain medication...I was so happy. Dizzy, but soooo happy. After that I was able to rest. Not too much later they brought in the epidural. I don't know why anyone wouldn't want one of those. After that I was in the best mood ever and I was so relaxed. I still had some feeling in my lower body, and could sense the contractions, but I felt no pain. I seriously was then able to enjoy the whole experience. By 8:30 things were really starting to pick up speed. Most of my family was there by then and Emily and David even stopped by to say hey and hang out before they went to work. It was such a good morning. By 10:30 though, things were starting to be really uncomfortable. I mean REALLY uncomfortable. I thought Kate was about to drop out of my body and take a few extra things with her...there was so much pressure! So at 11:00 I decided to call the nurse in to check things out. At this point, my midwife wasn't even at the hospital and my nurse hadn't been by in awhile because they had no idea how quickly I was progressing. So when she checked me she was shocked to find out that I was 12 cm dialated. Yes, that's right; 12. I didn't even know you could be 12 cm dialated. So we had to wait about 20 minutes for my midwife to come...which was fine because then I knew Kate would be even more ready when it was finally time to start pushing. So when I was finally able to, I literally only pushed about 15 times for about 12 minutes...and Kate was born! It was 11:47 and my beautiful girl was 21 inches long and weighed 7lbs and 9 oz. My sweet precious baby girl was finally in my arms and I probably will never feel the way I felt in that moment again. I hope I will for the next babies, but I don't see how that could be possible! That was the most amazing thing ever. God is so gracious to allow me to be her mommy. I never want to forget any of this.

Here is the slideshow of the whole experience.

Here are some pictures that I love:

Maternity Pictures!! (by Liz & Terry Power of course:)

2008-09-09T13:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I promised pictures from the shower...but I'm so behind!! But of course I already worked on our maternity pictures from last night and wanted to share them! I'm so excited about them. Here's a fun little slideshow:

Here are some favorites:

Emily & David's Rehearsal, and Our First Baby Shower!

2008-08-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

I know it's been awhile...but we have been so busy! Not only was I out of town last week for a seminar on Photography, but then Keith and I went to Atlanta for our first baby shower! My Atlanta family gave us so many cute things for Kate! We are very excited. Now I just have to find a place for it all...which is the other thing I've been busy with. We are working so hard to get ready for Kate to be here. We only have 8 weeks left!! That is so hard to believe. And what if she comes early!!????

2 Fridays ago we got to go to Emily and David's rehearsal. They of course got married the next day (which we sadly had to miss) and we are so excited for them! And jealous b/c they got to go to Mexico for a honeymoon. I want to go on a honeymoon with Keith again. Instead we're doing the opposite of a honeymoon...having a baby:)

Here are some pictures from the rehearsal, and baby shower pictures will come soon:

As if we were surprised:)

Coast 2 Coast Wisconsin

2008-07-31T17:00:00.001-07:00

Coast 2 Coast Wisconsin is not just a clever title for a blog post, it is also the clever title for our family vacation last week. Keith and I headed up to Wisconsin 2 Saturdays ago with Keith's whole family (unfortunately minus Jared who severed his Achilles tendon a month ago). This trip started on the Mississippi River coast, and ended on the other side of WI on the coast of Lake Michigan. Everything in-between was farmland. Lots and lots of farmland. The kind where if you had the windows down, you quickly learned the difference between the smell of horse poop and cow poop. That kind of farmland.

Every year a large group of [crazy] people meet together to bike (the bicycle kind...not motorcycle kind) this coast 2 coast trail through WI. The first day was 50 miles, 2nd day 65, 3rd day 80 (or 100 for the real crazies), 4th day 65, 5th day 55. I was not one of those crazies. I was the one sitting in a van racking my brain to try to figure out what made this trip so appealing to people:) Needless to say, I am yet to figure it out...but maybe that has something to do with being 7 months pregnant, and having never ridden more than maybe 6 miles on a bike. I had a good time with my mother-in-law in the van though.

Anyways, I'm pretty much the worst photographer ever and didn't take a camera with me. So I am stealing these off my sister-in-laws blog, and will get more from my father-in-law later.
For now, there are lots of the Hangs...good thing they're so cute:)

Here's the whole group...plus a big fish.

Here's when Keith got a flat tire...this was just one of 3 that he got that day!

Here's Selah when we stopped for ice cream in the Cranberry Capital of the world. I had Cranberry truffle ice cream....aaaaamazing.

So sweet.

Here's Keith leading this group of bikers along the highway. I wish you could see his tan lines...you just wouldn't believe them.

The kids were entertained by stopping at random things they saw along the way. For example, a large plastic pig shown here with Kayleigh.

A playground shown here with Malachi. I think the kids are huge fans of the Coast 2 Coast trip.

The Laptop is making my lap sweat.

2008-07-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

I thought that title might grab some attention. Unfortunately it's true. So I'm here at home watching Jaws at 10pm by myself while Keith is out working...yes working. He can only tweak outdoor lighting systems at night...go figure! Things have been crazy so I am very behind on blogging already...and it's only my second post! Pathetic.

We are leaving for Chicago Saturday morning. There is a bike trip that Keith and his dad are doing where they ride coast to coast across Wisconsin. By coast I of course mean the Mississippi river to the coast of Lake Michigan. I'm sure it will be beautiful and tons of fun for them on their bikes...meanwhile my mother in law and I get to see it from the car. I didn't think Kate would appreciate that much biking...so we will be confined to the car and to giving bikers refreshment. Luckily my mother in law is wonderful so we can hang out...but neither of us are too thrilled about the trip itself. Pray for us!

We were just in Chicago for the 4th of July. It was so fun. My parents made their first appearance in Chicago! We could not have asked for more amazing weather and there was of course lots to do.

Our breakfast on the deck. Kayleigh looking very patriotic:

Flags are weapons too.
Thought you might wanna see a large belly (and from this angle, a large disproportionate head!)

Oh uncle Keith is just awful isn't he?

But here he is being so helpful!

Getting ready for the parade. Bikes must be decorated with streamers and flags. MUST!

If food is involved, this girl is happy.

The city has a parade every 4th of July morning that Malachi and Kayleigh got to ride their bikes in this year, and Peter walked with them with Selah on his back. So cute.

Selah in her carrier...in the middle of the street.

Again...food makes her happy. They handed out a doughnut with sprinkles...and I don't think any of the sprinkles made it into her mouth.

Keith and me when we went sightseeing downtown with my parents and in-laws. It was SUCH a beautiful day!!The City:

Here are a couple more I am adding in. Mom and Dad with the city:)

We ate at this great restaurant overlooking Michigan Avenue...and can I get one nice picture with my husband, PLEASE!??! NO. He just has to be silly. And it's Root Beer.

And yes...Keith is Batman.

Here we are at the Dairy Bar on our last day. Dairy Bar is a Glenview fave...hand dipped cones are their specialty!

Blogging

2008-07-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

I'm giving in. I am starting my own blog. Everyone else is doing it, so why shouldn't I?

But there are so many perplexing questions racing through my mind. Why blog? Who would want to read this blog? I bore myself sometimes, (ok, a lot of the time) soooo how can I possibly keep this blog interesting? But then it hit me, or rather kicked me. Kate! Kate will make this blog interesting.

Kate is the little one growing inside my belly for (supposedly) the next 3.5 months. She got there sometime back in January (is that too much information?) and has been making me tired and cranky almost ever since. I kid, I kid. But seriously. And yet she's made me more excited and hopeful and bewildered than ever before. It's amazing that someone you have never met can mean so much to you and change everything so much. I can only imagine how it's going to be when she's here! Little nervous about that. Not gonna lie.

But God is sovereign and completely in control of it all, which is an unbelievable relief. He is certainly the one who put her in our lives. It was funny how it all started. I had been praying asking God to show us when He wanted us to start a family and to make that clear to us. That week Keith randomly says to me "Let's start a family." So of course one month later Kate was on the way. Keith and I were married just under 2 years before this time so we had a little bit of time of "just us". I was more hesitant to let that go b/c it had all been so wonderful, but we both are so excited to start our family. All of our future dreams and goals involve one, so why not start now?

Anywho, I'll have to scan some ultrasound pictures in but all I have for now are some wedding pictures of me and Keith. I know I know, that was so 2 years ago...but I like them so back off!!!!