Snow Day, part 2!

Kevin enjoys shoveling snow. And today he is doing plenty of it. He came home from work around 1 p.m. Before he could pull the car into the garage he had to shovel about a foot of snow.

Now 1.5 hours later he is out there shoveling again because another 3 inches has accumulated.


He also shoveled a path to our frontdoor. (By the way, he got that hat while in Russia for ISP '02. Who knew it would become more than a souvenir?)

Snow Day!

Okay, so my girls don't go to school but if they did today would be a snowday for them. We are expected by day's end to have an accumulation of 10 inches of snow to add to the 10 in. already on the ground. And this snow (wet and heavy) is "snowman making" snow. We may try to make one after the storm passes. In the meantime, we are having pajama day. Sofia wanted to be burrowed with her stuffed animals. Then, of course, she wanted to smother Selah with all kinds of stuff but I limited her on what she could lay on top of her.

(Please continue to uplift Cyd in your prayers. May the Lord use this event to "free" her captors.)

Quite a statement.

I met Cyd Mizell during my time in Turkey. To me, she was a very wise and caring person. After I received word of her kidnapping this past weekend, I, of course, was very troubled. At the same time, however, I have been able to pray for her with a confidence in knowing that God is with her.

News reports today stated that 500 Afghan women protested on the behalf of Cyd. The women, many clad in their burqas, were pleading to officials to make every effort to find and free Cyd. One news item reported how a woman got permission from her husband so she could join the protest. Obviously, Cyd was more than a teacher to these women. She was a friend and an advocate. You don't protest for just anything and anyone. Her impact on these women and to us all is quite a statement.

Keep praying!!!

PRAYER NEEDED!!!

This beautiful american woman inside and out has been abducted in Afghanistan. She has been working with an aid organization teaching english and embroidery to women. Please pray for her release.

Meanwhile Selah is...

So while Sofia and mama where outside in the snow (see below post) Selah was inside the nice warm house with daddy. A couple of weeks ago we introduced her to the exersaucer. She loves it!

Snow but no snowman.

Today's temperature is supposed to reach a high of 28 degrees. This is really warm considering the temps have been hovering around 0 to -20 degrees this past week because of the windchill. So being that it was on the warm side I figured it would be a good morning to take Sofia out and make a snowman.
Unfortunately the snow on the ground is too fluffy (this California girl is learning that there are different types of snow). It just won't stick in order to make a snowball. After about 15 minutes outside, however, Sofia was ready to go inside. So was her mama!
The first pic is of Sofia in our driveway. The second is Sofia at our beach. Yes, that's the lake behind her. Anyone for ice-fishing?

Parenting...the ugghhs!

All those cliches are true. As a single person you have great opportunity and time to serve God. As a married person you learn the intimacy of God's love. And as a parent, well, you learn about God's unconditional love and find yourself saying sorry to Him quite a bit more in regards to the way we've acted as a child of God.
I must confess that my 3 yr. old daughter, Sofia, can drive me crazy sometimes. My most frustrating moments with her are when she seems to not listen when in reality you know she did. Kevin and I don't only say, "Listen" but we say "Listen (while pointing to our ear) and obey (while pointing to our heart)".
It is very sobering to us that our teaching and training is not done so we may have a good little girl. It is so that someday our daughter will be an adult who loves the Lord HER God with all of her heart, mind and soul. So, in those moments, days, when I am frustrated I have to turn to my God and say, "I'm sorry for those times I didn't listen or heard but didn't obey, now PLEASE HELP ME!" . And of course, looking into those brown eyes helps soften those moments as well.:) Oh the ugghhs of parenting!

Date with Daddy

Sofia and I had a great time at the show on Friday afternoon. We watched the latest Veggie Tale Movie. It was Sofia's first movie in a theater. We thought we were going to be the only ones viewing the show, but ten minutes into it another family came in. We still had a lot of fun!

Four months!

Today we are amazed that Selah is four months old! She is such a dear. The greatest blessing has been her sleeping habits. For the past seven/eight weeks she sleeps an uninterrupted 10 hours every night. Last night Sofia was so excited that Selah is now sleeping in the same room with her. Here is a pic of Sofia reading Selah a story and the other one is Selah waking up this morning(no, she doesn't miss a meal). Thank you Lord for our precious daughters.

Family!

We were very blessed to be able to spend time with famiy over the holidays. Christmas was spent in Michigan and New Year's in Oklahoma. Here is a pic of Selah with her Great Gramma (Keri's gramma) or G.G. as Sofia affectionately calls her. G.G. is a beautiful 84 year old woman who faithfully continues to teach Sunday School and is a prayer warrior. She is a testimony for God's glory and we in turn give God glory that our girls have the blessing of being her great-grandaughters.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

I don't know about you but due to our extended family being so large we can easily forget someone's birthday. Thankfully they still love us. And isn't that true about Jesus Christ?
Too many people have forgotten that Christmas is a time for us to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. A time to remember and be thankful for the greatest gift of all...Jesus coming to earth so He could take our place on the cross and die for our sins.
So, this Christmas, enjoy your time with family and friends but don't forget to say, "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" And remember, Jesus does love you.

She stole the show!

This past Sunday night our church presented their annual Christmas program. The children's choir sang a few songs then the adult choir performed a beautiful Christmas "suite" with a live, full orchestra. Very moving.
To get things kicked off the "Play-n-Praise" choir (3 and 4 yr. olds) sang "Go Tell It on the Mountain". Needless to say, our little Sofia stole the show. Mommy and daddy had asked her to sing loud and clear for the glory of God and by golly she did. Her voice could be heard well above the voices of her shy peers. You would have thought there was a microphone in front of her but there wasn't. It became "cute" and "funny" when Sofia sang at her own pace and a couple of times sang the wrong words...but again, she kept singing loud and clear! The packed house of around 500 people LOVED it! Many high fives were given to her on the way down from the stage. What a memory!!!
If you ever visit be sure to ask about seeing the video.

Three months old today!

Unbelievably our little baby girl is three months old. Selah is spending more time awake during the day now, loves to coo and talk with people, enjoys laughing with daddy each evening, and seems to put up with her big sister's antics quite well. Selah is a happy and healthy baby and for that we are very thankful.

Enjoying the snow!

The snow stopped falling around 10 a.m. then the sun came out...perfect time to play in the snow. Sofia LOVED making a snow angel and throwing snowballs. Selah, well, she thought taking a nap was the better thing to do (and so did mommy).

December...snow!

The geese must have known what was coming. Yesterday morning I took this picture of the gazillion geese gathering in our lake. As you can see, parts of the lake are frozen so the geese just walk on the ice. When the snow began yesterday afternoon around 3 p.m. the geese all took off...south? This morning at 8:00 a.m. it is still snowing.

December...Christmas!

Today it is December 1, it is snowing outside, and we have a Christmas tree in our living room. Yeah!!! Christmas is just around the corner. Decorating the tree allowed us to share some insight about Christmas to Sofia such as the meaning of the star, the meaning of giving gifts, and remembering it is truly all about Jesus.
For a little girl who loved having a birthday, it is neat to see her think only of Christmas as Jesus' birthday...we pray this thinking will continue for a lifetime.

Thanksgiving 2007

This year we had quite a bit to be thankful for...Kevin's new job as children's pastor, a beautiful place for us to live, and the birth of Selah. We are also so thankful for the many friends and family in our lives who encourage us, challenge us, and love us.

I love my husband!

This morning I wasn't in the greatest of moods. I hadn't had much sleep considering last night Selah decided she was hungry at 3 a.m. and stayed up until 4 a.m.
So when my husband asked me to listen to a song on the ipod while I was trying to hastily eat breakfast before Selah woke up, I wasn't too excited about it.
My husband simply looked at me and said, "Please listen. It's a song for us."
Oh how I love my husband. The song was "No one" by Alicia Keyes. A great song and a simple but needed love message to me from my husband.
I love you, babe!

Froggy to Baby

Unfortunately most newborn babies really do look like little froggies. Their limbs are flailing everywhere, their legs bent like froglegs, and they are all splotchy. Who said babies are cute? Well, I do! Our little girl is passing the froggy stage and becoming a cute little baby (always to mommy and daddy). Here is Selah at 8 weeks old.

The Birthday Girl!

Here is Sofia over the years! (how cheesy is this)
One year old
Two years old
and
Three years old.

Happy Birthday, Sofia!

Today we pray for Sofia as she celebrates her 3rd birthday.

Lord, we pray Sofia
*continues to grow in good health and grow developmentally;
*will continue to adjust to sharing mommy and daddy with her baby sister Selah;
*will continue to find pleasure in books, and someday will find significant pleasure in the Word of God;
*continues to be curious, and that her curiousity will someday be satisfied by knowing Jesus;
*whom God put on this earth for His enjoyment, will bring glory to God by enjoying Him;

In your precious name of Jesus, Amen!

Trick or Treat

Yesterday Sofia enjoyed her first time going trick-or-treating. We had never dressed her up before. It was fun. Mommy actually "made" her costume. Had to be creative considering that she insisted she be a mouse. Thank goodness we had those ears from Disneyland and duct tape for the tail!

After ringing the doorbell at the first house, saying "Trick or Treat" and getting TWO pieces of candy, Sofia looked at me and said, "Let's do that again, mommy!". So we did. Just a couple more houses then it was off to the party at church. Lots of fun!

The first pic is Sofia in her mouse "costume". The second pic is her "mouse face". And the third pic is Sofia on her way trick or treating in our housing development.

First Haircut!

Okay, you may have thought it was Selah getting her first haircut but alas, it was Sofia. Ten days shy of her 3rd birthday we took her to get her first haircut. Her hair finally came in this year. Now, it wasn't that long or straggly but it did have a lot of wispy hairs that were all different lengths and were getting in her eyes.
The pictures are before, during and after.
Let's see if it's another three years before her next haircut.

Wildfire!!

This past Thursday Kevin and I celebrated our fourth anniversary of marriage. Whoo hoo!!! It probably wasn't the most romantic celebration but I must say it was one of truly celebrating what our marriage has become...the building of a family that seeks to testify to God's glory.
Our anniversary dinner was at Wildfire (thus the title). We enjoyed a most amazing and sumptuous steak (thank goodness for gift certificates) and of course, we took the girls. It was, let's say, a family celebration.

Washing Dishes

The question is, will Sofia enjoy washing dishes as much as she does now when she is 10 yrs. old? Hmmm....probably not.:)

One month!!

Today Selah is four weeks old...technically she will be one month old on the 10th.

Keri's Memorable Month

September 2007 was quite the month for me. Here are the highlights:

The most important date of this month was no doubt the 10th. As you know that was the date God brought Selah into the world. Being a mommy is a role, a title, and a responsibility that truly sobers me. Being a mommy can be overwhelming at times but it teaches me to be dependent upon the Lord. It also reminds me that I too am still a child…learning, growing, and desiring to be “grown up” spiritually.

On Saturday, the 15th, I received word that my college professor, advisor, mentor, friend and sister in Christ had gone to be with the Lord. I was filled with so much emotion. Melodie was a young 54 yr. old mother whose body had been ravaged with cancer. But her heart, mind and soul were ravaged with her love for God. She was a witness to His glory to the very end. Thank you Melodie.

A celebration for my twentieth high school reunion took place on the 21st in Sacramento, CA. Obviously, I wasn’t able to attend but it did not keep me from walking down memory lane. The popular band was U2; George Michael and Whitney Houston were atop the charts, and a great movie, Dirty Dancing, was one of the most popular. Twenty years ago I was a very self-centered seventeen-year-old girl who desired to be elevated to fame. Thank you Lord that you have been doing a work in me.

Then came the 28th --- my thirty-eighth birthday! This isn’t necessarily a milestone birthday like the sixteenth or fortieth but it was one in which I was able to celebrate the fact that I am learning, growing, and becoming more “grown up” spiritually.

Like newborn babies...

These pictures of Selah were taken shortly after her first bath at home. Selah is doing well. If she is not sleeping then she is on the changing table, and if she is not there then she is gulping milk like there is no tomorrow.

Speaking of milk (It's late, and I can't think of another segue), I am going through 1 Peter in my Greek class. We covered 1 Peter 2:2 recently, which says in the NIV, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." Selah, who is just two weeks old, seems to long for milk like no other. At times, I think she would accept it intraveneously if she could just say, "Intraveneous it to me, please". But getting back to Peter's point, newborn babies long for milk, and we should long for pure spiritual milk, which is the word of God. It might be helpful to point out here that Peter is not writing to only brand new believers, he is writing to mature believers as well. So, Peter's exhortation applies to all believers to long for the word of God.

How about you, do you long for God's word? Boy, in all candor, lately I have longed for things such as a Michigan Wolverine victory, Detroit Tigers/Los Angeles Angels/Chicago Cubs playoff spots, sleep, and Starbucks coffee. I read the Bible daily, but I don't meditate on it throughout the day as I should. Oh, the missed blessings and opportunities, and yes, I confess, sin. Well, if you are like me, Psalm 119:36-37 will help wake us from our slumber; the KJV renders this passage superbly. "Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity (yes, even football and baseball!); and quicken thou me in thy way." May the Lord grant us steadfastness in seeking and satisfying ourselves in the milk of His word.

Having fun with Daddy!!!

Sisters

Sofia and Selah are getting acquainted. Sofia is learning what it means to have a younger sister, while Selah is patiently enduring the prodding, pulling, and patting of older sister.

We are grateful to the Lord that Keri, Selah, and the rest of the fam are doing well!

Introducing Selah Brooke Sheckler

Kevin, Keri, & Sofia welcome Selah Brooke to the Sheckler family. Selah was born Monday, Sept. 10th, at 4:28 p.m. She weighed 7 pounds and 2 ounces at birth, and she measured 20 inches long. Selah has some nice hair that she must've gotten from her mother's side, and a cleft chin which is characteristic from her dad's side. We are grateful for those of you who have prayed for us.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change (James 1:17)."

Praise be to God!

Mommy and Sofia

Mommy and big sister Sofia are excited about baby Selah. Selah's due date is just nine days away!

Had enough suspense?

We have been unusually cruel to some of you for waiting so long to post another clue regarding the name of Baby Sheck. Should the Lord be pleased to bring Baby Sheck into this world as a girl (which the ultrasound indicated), she will be named Selah Brooke. Selah is a Hebrew word. Its origins are complex even for Hebrew language experts. However, we have liked a fairly common interpretation and we are going with it.

Many have said that Selah means suspension (of music); a lyrical pause that allows for an instrumental interlude. A time to reflect & meditate on the lyrics of the Psalmist during the song. We also realize that there are varying pronunciations for the name, but we are going to go with SAY-luh. (Incidentally, it only took one clue for Leslie Blair to mention this name. Way to go, Leslie!) The middle name, Brooke, is Keri's grandmother Overstreet's maiden name, which is also her sister Kelli's middle name.

Baby name is...

Hi everyone! We just wanted to let you know that the final results of our blog poll are in. With sixteen voters participating (fourteen more than Keri thought we would have!); 7 of you voted that our baby should be given a Hebrew name, 6 of you voted for a Native American name, 3 of you voted for a Greek name, and nobody voted for Other. Well, guess what, we intend to give our baby a Hebrew name! Just to let you know, we had already made up our minds on a Hebrew name before the blog poll began. Lord-willing, we are going to name our baby girl*....not so fast, we will give you some clues along the way. If you think you know it (family please do not disclose), please leave a comment.

Clue #1: The first name is found in the poetry section of the Old Testament.

This could be interesting!

*Just in case the baby turns out to be a boy we have to leave room for a way out!