Our Family Advent Tree!

So I got together in early December with a group of ladies from my M.O.P.S. (Mothers of Preschoolers) group, and we made these Advent trees. We cut out 25 symbols representing meaningful stories in the Bible that represent God's love and faithfulness. Each night (from Dec. 1-25th) we read a prayer that goes with a specific Scripture, and then Katelyn puts the assigned symbol on the felt tree. Below is a picture of our tree and then a video of Katelyn putting a symbol on the tree.

On another note, we are traveling this week to Austin and Waco to spend time with our families. We went to Waco this afternoon for a Christmas party that Dave's mom hosts every year, and then headed to Austin....which is where we are now (Saturday) and will leave for Waco on Christmas Eve (Wednesday) and then back to Dallas on the 28th (Sunday). We'll be hosting our Chinese friend from SMU on the 29th/30th to celebrate a belated Christmas and share our special traditions with him.

Take time to linger at the manger in the coming days, and in doing so, may you have a wonderful Christmas!

Holiday Fun!

My grandparents (Mom and Pop) sent Katelyn this really cute little winter outfit! Katelyn loved feeling the "fur" on it, and we loved watching her look so stinkin' adorable in it!


Also, Katelyn really got in the spirit of decorating the Christmas tree this year! Look closely and you'll see her shoes nestled in the branches! Thanks for the special touch, Katelyn!

Giving Thanks!

We had a great Thanksgiving holiday with my family in Austin, and we also were able to visit with Dave's family in Waco on our way back! We have so much to be thankful for...as I write this tonight, I am thankful for another day to live! The highlight of our Thanksgiving was having my grandparents (AKA mom and pop--my dad's parents) from Beaumont there! We hadn't seen them since May, and my dad drove to pick them up so they could share the holiday with us! Katelyn and I had a little bit of a stomach bug, and my sister Brittany was also a little under the weather during our stay in Austin, but the way I see it....what better place to get sick than at home with people who care and want to take care of you?! Here are a few pictures from the trip! Enjoy!

The gang!

Mom and Pop

Katelyn in her oversized PJ's

Katelyn after waking up from a nap and seeing a room full of people looking at her.
She's seen better days. :(

Katelyn playing with Jerry dog and MaMaw

Katelyn sharing her goldfish with Jerry dog

A Fun Thanksgiving Craft!

So...one day Katelyn and I had a free afternoon, and I had this brilliant idea (actually, my friend Bethany gave me the idea last Thanksgiving because she did this craft with her son)! We made a handprint turkey! It was so fun! I tried to take a picture of the finished product, but for some reason, I couldn't get it to show up well in any of the pictures I took. So....I'm just including the sample picture from the internet that we used as a guide (http://www.familycorner.com).

We (read: I) had so much fun doing this! Katelyn just kept looking at me like "Tell me again why you're painting my hand??" I'm not the craftiest person, but motherhood is really starting to do something to me (especially on rainy days when we're inside most of the day!)!!! I also found a little poem from another website (http://www.dltk-holidays.com) that I thought was cute, so we included it too! We sent these to our family as a "We are thankful for you!" card.

This isn't just a turkey as you can plainly see
I made it with my hand which is a part of me
It comes with lots of love especially to say
I hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving day!

Buzzin' Along!

We really enjoyed our Halloween! Katelyn dressed up as a bumble bee! Actually, truth be told, we dressed her up! She didn't really have a say in the matter! Thank you to our dear, talented, oh-so-creative, friend Dangela who let us borrow the costume she made for her daughter Molly to wear last year! So here is the breakdown of our October 31st events:

On Friday morning, Katelyn and I visited the nursing home that we go to every Friday. I dressed her up in her cute costume, and the residents just ate her up!! It was really cute because all of the residents were dressed up too!

On Friday evening, our family participated in an outreach through our church to a local apartment complex. A couple from our church who lives in the apartment complex set up a few fun games, bought lots of candy, and gave us (along with two other couples from our home group) the opportunity to love on and serve people in our community! Dave was in charge of the "eyeball toss" game (eyeball=ping pong ball with an eye drawn on it), and he did such a great job! Katelyn and I manned the welcome table and gave kids trick or treat bags to hold all their candy in that they would be accumulating at each game!

Another highlight of our October 31st was that Katelyn started walking on her own!!! She really is buzzin' along now! That bee costume must have inspired her! Enjoy the video below that I recently took of her walking!

Katelyn costume (front)

Katelyn costume (back--please don't miss the stinger sticking out of the too-too! So cute!!)

Fun at the nursing home!

Crowd at the Fall Festival apartment outreach event

Us!

Here she comes just a walkin' down the street.....

Fun with the Flints in Washington!

We just got back from a wonderful visit with our good friends Jeff and Bethany Flint in Bellingham, Washington! They have a 21-month-old son, Micah, who was such a good friend to Katelyn while we were there too! For those of you who don't know, Bethany was my college roommate and one of my closest friends. We figured out that each time I have visited Washington, we have been in different stages of life. The first time I visited, she and Jeff were engaged, and she was living in a "dorm house." The next visit, she and Jeff were married and living in a little apartment. The next visit, Dave and I were married and went together, and the Flints had moved into a house of their own! This most recent visit, they were living in the same house and we each had a little one! My how things change! The only thing that hasn't changed is what dear friends the Flints are to our family!

A few highlights from our trip:

• We went to a pumpkin patch and apple orchard. We took a hayride out to the pumpkins, and next to the patch of pumpkins was an apple orchard where we picked apples right off the tree and ate them...and didn't even get sick!!! Our experience was complete with homeade apple cider and caramel apple pie!! We also bought two pumpkins and made loads of pumpkin bread with them!

• Since Katelyn and Micah woke up, napped, bathed (!!), and went to bed at the same time, we had a pretty good schedule each day of pre-nap, during nap, and post nap activities. Now you may be wondering, "What in the world can you do during a nap?" Well, while the guys lounged at home with the sleeping kids, Bethany and I had "girly errand time!" We would go do little things that needed/wanted to be done...mostly shopping related!

• Bethany and I went out for coffee one night, just the two of us, and caught up!
  

• Our last night there, we got a sitter and all went out to a nice dinner!

• We got to hear Jeff preach at First Baptist Church-Bellingham where he is the head pastor. He and Bethany also sing in the praise team! What a pair they are! It was a real treat that we got to be there on Pastor Appreciation Sunday because the church planned a surprise reception for them! We loved seeing them loved by so many people!

• Dave and Jeff played an awesome round of frisbee golf one morning!

• Katelyn and Micah played so sweetly together! Each morning when Micah woke up and came out of his room, we heard him saying, "Kate-in! Kate-in!" When she heard his voice, she would get really excited too! They also played a lot together in the playroom!
  

Katelyn enjoying the pumpkin patch

Katelyn and Micah reading in the playroom together

Kristen and Bethany

Katelyn swinging in the Flint's backyard

Dave and Jeff pause for a picture during their frisbee golf game

McCurdys and Flints pose for a picture after church

Double date!

Fun at the State Fair and Pumpkin Patch!

What a fun past few days we have had!! Last Thursday, my sister Brittany took the day off work and she went with me and Katelyn to the State Fair of Texas!! We had fun watching a dog show, walking through the petting zoo (including zebras, camels, and giraffes!), eating corndogs and funnel cakes, and looking at crafts! We even saw one sweet lady win a blue ribbon for her peach cobbler recipe! She was so excited and in such disbelief, we seriously thought she was going to pass out!! Too bad they didn't have samples of that cobbler for curious onlookers!

At the petting zoo....I realized that I didn't know what half of those "exotic" animals were, so I just kept saying, "Katelyn, look at the animal!"

One of the show dogs licking Katelyn's face after the performance! Katelyn loved it (both the show and the licking!)

Kristen, Katelyn, and Brittany enjoying the state fair!

We also went to a really fun pumpkin patch today with my dad (Pee Paw) and his good friend John! My dad was able to take some time off work this week and come up to Dallas with my mom who has a business conference to attend. So...while she was in meetings all day, he came to play with us! What a deal! At the pumpkin patch, we went on a hayride, walked through lots of rows of pumpkins, and spent some time letting Katelyn pick out a couple little pumpkins of her own! The weather was perfect, and it was such a fun time! We love you Pee Paw, and we really enjoyed spending time with you today!

Our "lil' punkin" with the pumpkins!

Me, Katelyn, and Pee Paw in the pumpkins!

Katelyn sitting on a carriage with her new little scarecrow friends. She shortly lost interest in her "friends" and began trying to eat the pumpkin she was holding!

Is this a good one mom??

Katelyn carefully picking her pumpkins....so many to choose from!

Katelyn sitting in the wagon inspecting her pumpkin for any flaws...none found! I was nervous she would have "buyer's remorse"...a trait that both her mommy and daddy seem to have!

On the hayride...we were the first ones on and the last ones off! Katelyn really enjoyed looking at the pumpkins as we passed by them and watching the tractor as it pulled us around!

A Very Special Little Girl!

Jordan Flint is the sweet 4-year-old daughter of our friends, Joel and Jodie Flint. Jordan was diagnosed with leukemia on March 26, 2008 and has been undergoing many treatments since. This is an amazing little girl and an amazing family! If you are interested in knowing more about Jordan's story, keeping up to date with her progress, or knowing how to pray for her and her family, click here. Also, "Light the Night," is a walk being held in Frisco,TX on November 1 that will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. If you are interested in donating to "Team Jordan," please visit http://www.active.com/donate/ltnDallas/jodieflint.

On another note, my youngest sister Brittany is walking in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Saturday, October 18 in Dallas, TX. Any donations she receives will be matched dollar for dollar by her company. If you are interested in supporting her and donating to help in the fight against breast cancer, click here.

Welcome Home Daddy!

Well, my daddy is finally home! After being gone for 10 days, I wasn't really sure when I would see him again, but this past Wednesday, mommy took me to this place with a lot of people, airplanes, and a thing inside the building that goes round and round with lots of people's bags on it! When I saw my daddy walk through the twirly door, I looked at him for a second...not quite sure what to think...and then I realized "Hey, that's my daddy!" and I smiled really big, started kicking my legs really fast, and reached out for him to hold me! He was so glad to see me and mommy, and we are so glad to have him back! We missed him very much!! He said he had a good flight back and that his time in China was very productive!

Fun with Family!!

Here are a few pictures of our time in Waco (the weekend before Dave left) and Austin (Katelyn and I--while Dave was gone). Dave is scheduled to return this Wednesday evening, and Katelyn and I are counting down the hours!!

From left to right: Dave, Dave's grandmother, Katelyn, Dave's mom

Reading time with Granny (Dave's mom)

Katelyn's favorite pose with Peepaw (Kristen's dad)

Helping Mamaw (Kristen's mom) with her knee exercises (and arms too!)

Playdate with my two good friends from high school and their kiddos

Celebrating Aunt Jessica's birthday (that's Uncle Evan to her right)

One small step for man, one giant step for our sweet Katelyn!!

Well, it happened!! Katelyn took her first steps...five in a row!! What a treat it was that Dave got to see her too, since he flies out for China tomorrow morning! A special blessing indeed! See the video below to witness the excitement!

And We're Off!!

We are leaving today to spend the weekend with Dave's family in Waco. Part of our weekend will include celebrating his mom's birthday which was Sept. 9! We will return Sunday evening, unpack, do laundry and then repack. "Repack?" you ask. "A weekend in Waco wasn't enough travel??" Not quite. Dave flies out to China at 8 a.m. Monday for a last-minute, 10-day business trip. Katelyn and I will leave straight from dropping him off at the airport to drive to Austin for the week and hang out with my parents, my sister Jessica (whose Sept. 10 birthday we will be belatedly celebrating), and her husband Evan. My mom is still off work recovering from her knee replacement surgery and my dad is off work taking care of her! So....we will all get spend some fun family time together (but it's without Dave, so that always makes it a little less fun). Please pray for safe travel for Dave, a productive time of working through the company finances/budget, and a refreshing time of reconnecting with our teammates and Chinese friends.

An Honored Guest

This past weekend we had the opportunity to host a special guest! Michael is 24-year old Chinese student at SMU studying for his Master's in Statistics and also serving as a Teaching Assistant. He received a scholarship from SMU to study there, and he was the first Chinese student to be accepted to this Statistics program!

I actually met Michael when we lived in China! For those of you who remember us writing about our helper, Anna, Michael is her nephew!! I know....small world! We found out he was coming to study at SMU and were in contact with him before he even arrived! Katelyn and I went to pick him up from his apartment on Saturday afternoon (the end of his first week of school), then we met Dave back at the house, and we all went to church together that night! After church, we came home, ordered pizza, and watched a little football. Dave did a good job of explaining the game to Michael! We also stayed up late talking about very Meaningful things. Sunday morning, Kristen had her first day of volunteering with the 4-year-old Sunday school class! While she was with the 4-year olds, Dave, Katelyn and Michael went to Wal-Mart to pick up a shower curtain and some school supplies for Michael! Then we all had lunch at home and watched a tennis match on TV (Michael is a big tennis fan!). Dave took Michael back to his apartment that afternoon. We really enjoyed hosting Michael and giving him a chance to rest, relax, and be a part of our family for the weekend. He is going to have a busy semester, so we hope to serve as an encouragement to him as he adjusts to a new culture, new campus, and new people!

Katelyn was taking a nap, so she couldn't be in the picture, but I couldn't just leave her out!! Below is a picture of Katelyn in a little dress that my friend Rose bought her for her birthday! I put Katelyn in the dress last time we visited Rose, and I took her inside so Harry (Rose's husband) could see her too!

It's Party Time!

Dave, Katelyn and I left for Austin with my youngest sister Brittany last Friday for a weekend of partying!! We always look forward to the time we spend with our family in Austin, but this visit was extra special because we not only celebrated Katelyn's 1st birthday (is she really one already??!!), but Brittany's graduation from UNT! Instead of being in Denton with the rest of her graduating class, Brittany and her roommate were in London finishing up their last class (where was that class when I was in school??!!). Needless to say, they were not able to walk across the stage on graduation day. So, when we got to Austin, my dad had a "cap" (read: a UNT baseball cap), Brittany's graduation gown from high school, his tassle from HIS high school graduation in 1967, and a homemade diploma - it was definitely a one-of-a-kind ensemble (see picture below)!

As far as Katelyn's birthday party....She loved every minute of it! With an intimate gathering of family and friends of the family present, what a joy it was for us, as her parents, to not only celebrate the gift she is to us, but to see the joy that others had in celebrating her as well! Over the last year, she has taught us so much about ourselves, our ability to love, and most of all, the Lord's love for us as His children! We look forward to many years to come with our little rascal! ...and another birthday tidbit for you--Katelyn loved her birthday cake!! It was made out of cupcakes, so we placed her very own cupcake in front of her to devour...and devour she did!! The pictures say it all! I also included a video of us singing happy birthday to her and the reaction she had! So cute! We also had a little tri fold picture frame that had a picture of me, Dave, and Katelyn, all at one year of age! It was so neat to see the resemblances she had to each of us!

HAPPY GRADUATION BRITTANY!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY KATELYN!

Serving Some Sweet Seniors!

Another weekly activity that Katelyn and I enjoy is visiting a nearby nursing home! We got hooked up with this particular home through our church. I have always had a heart for the elderly and actually visited a nursing home on a consistent basis when I was in college. I thought this would be the perfect time to start again! I figure....Katelyn brings so much joy to us that SURELY the Lord can use her to bring that same joy to people who may not otherwise have anyone to look forward to seeing during the week! It has been such a blessing! Katelyn and I love the residents just as much (if not more!) than they love us (well, let's be honest...it's probably Katelyn that they look most forward to seeing each week!). Some residents invite her to jump on their beds, others want to hold her hand, and still others just love to see her smile, clap her hands, or hold on tight to mommy's fingers and walk around their room. "This little piggy" is also a favorite game for residents to play with Katelyn when we visit. Her "little piggies" are worn out by the time we leave! The picture below is of Katelyn and one of the residents, Ms. Ann. All of Ms. Ann's family lives in Canada, and hers is always the first room we stop at!