Definition of Pretty

Sofia enjoys watching me put make-up on.  Of course, she wants to as well.  Being that she is three she is only allowed to use one of mommy's old blush brushes (little does she know there is nothing on it) and some clear lip gloss. 

About a month ago, Sofia came to me and said she needed to put make-up on so she could be pretty.  Oh no!!!!  During one of my getting ready times I must have answered her "why do you wear make-up" questions with an answer of "I'm making myself pretty".  So the life lesson began.

Sofia now knows that what makes a person pretty is a smiling face and a good heart.  And what is a good heart?  A heart that loves God and obeys His commandments.

"Lord, I pray that both my girls will have a beautiful smile and a good heart.  

I pray that their understanding of beauty will not be a rote answer.  I pray their understanding comes from knowing you and loving you with all of their heart, 

mind, and strength."

Such a good big sis.

This past week Selah surprised us and began to take quite an interest in walking.  Today she took six steps on her own before falling down.   As parents we enjoy watching her courageously take steps.  We enjoy watching her grow in confidence.  And we enjoy watching get back up after falling.

One reason she may be liking this walking thing...her big sis.  Sofia loves to play "choo-choo" with her.  As you can see in the pictures, Selah grabs on to Sofia and off they go.  

Sunday morning battles.

Sunday mornings often play host to spiritual battles.  Battles that distract from the desire to focus our attention to our Lord in an attitude of worship and praise.  The Sheckler household is not immune to these battles.  Some Sundays the battle is weariness due to a teething baby who didn't sleep.  Some Sundays the battle is between husband and wife miscommunicating their expectations.  Today, the battle was poop.

The morning was actually going quite well.  Kevin left for church around 7:30 a.m. and with an hour to get myself and the girls ready I figured I had time to give them both a bath.  I washed their hair then decided to let them play in the bath together while I put on my makeup.  And then yes, it happened.  Sofia yells, "Mommy, there's poop in the bathtub!"  

I couldn't believe it.  This had never happened when Sofia was little but Selah, oh Selah.  She wants to make sure I am experiencing all aspects of parenthood.

Needless to say my hour to get ready turned into poop scooping, bathtub scrubbing, re-bathing of the girls (I opted for shower this time around), then getting the three of us dressed in our Sunday best.

We made it to church on time.  And the time at church was a sweet time of gathering with fellow believers worshipping through song, prayer and the hearing of God's Word.  Those Sunday morning battles, well, God wins...every time!

Road trip...again.

Last week the girls and I headed to Manistee, MI to spend time with Gramma and Papa Bill who were up from Oklahoma.  Aunt Kelli and cousins Caleb and Hannah were there as well.  The eight hour (usually 5.5 hours) road trip was long due to multiple stops for poopy diapers and stretch breaks.  Overall the girls did great and the trip was well worth it.

Papa Bill giving Sofia her first tennis lesson.  She basically swung the racket like a bat.

Selah found great pleasure in the swings.

We celebrated Hannah's 11th birthday. 

Gramma and her grandkids at the cottage.  

It's been a year.

This time last year we were not too sure how this blogging thing was going to work out.  Thank you Chappy, Sarah, and Brooke for encouraging us to do so.  Our blog truly is one that we pray testifies to the grace in our lives found only through Jesus Christ our Lord.  This blog allows us to share the happenings in our lives (mostly the girls' lives) with family and friends who are not near.  And one day, maybe the girls will read and view the blog of their mommy and daddy and not be too embarrassed.

Here's to another year of blogging!

One to one.

Yesterday our baby turned 11 months old. Yes, in just one month she will be a one year old. Her current favourite words are "Hi" (with a wave), "bye-bye", "up", and "mama":). Grunting and pointing, however, are her main ways of communicating.

Meal times may be giving us glimpses into some of her personality traits. She eats her mixed vegetables according to colour (ex: carrots first then peas) and when she is done she simply drops one piece at a time onto the floor as if clearing her table.

Crawling is her mode of getting around. She is taking more of an interest in walking along the furniture and by holding mommy's hand but her balance and round feet still need to develop.

Our blue-eyed girl continues to open our eyes to the many blessings of our Lord. We love her and are so thankful for a healthy, growing baby.

Welcome to my world.

These are all pics taken yesterday.  My girls definitely keep me busy and laughing!

Sofia crawled into Selah's bed to comfort her.  Mommy was taking to long to get her.

While you make lunch mommy, I'll make a....mess.

Oh, I'll make a mess with my lunch as well.

Glad to see she wiped but um...it didn't quite make it into the potty.

Sofia helped me make dinner.  She loves to "paint" the olive oil on the vegetables.

For those about THE Rock...

Salute Him! I've only heard good things about the Worship God Conference that was held last week in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Now, you and I can go to the following link and take a hearsy (not really a word) for ourselves.

Between Two Worlds: Audio from the Worship God Conference

I wore a dress.

This past Sunday I (Keri, not Kevin) wore a dress to church. Big deal you say. Lots of ladies wear dresses to church. It was a big deal, however, because my baby's need is no longer dictating my fashion.

After 10 months and three weeks, this has caused me to grieve. I grieve the loss of being the sole provider of nourishment, I grieve the loss of precious one on one times, and I grieve the loss of my "baby" baby. At the same time I celebrate the growth of my child, I celebrate the milestones of watching her feed herself, and I celebrate the continued different one on one times.

Mommies, soon-to-be mommies, and hope-to-be-one-day mommies, I wrote up a reflection of my experience with both girls. If you would like to read it, feel free to e-mail me and I will send it to you.

Room at the inn.

When we moved to our current home a little over a year ago, we were excited about having an extra room for guest.  This guest room has definitely been used.  There has not been a month gone by that we have not had either family or friends come visit.  

This past weekend was no exception.  PopO. and Gramma Leesa came to visit us from SoCal, Uncle Paul was in town from Michigan, Uncle Kirk was out for the weekend helping a church in the hood of Chi town, and the Fujino family were visiting from Japan.  No they did not all stay in our guest room but we did have them all for breakfast Saturday morning.  It was a great time of fellowship!

Selah trying to figure out this hoodlum of an uncle.

Sofia has already figured him and out and knows he is one cool dude.

The Fujinos are an amazing family serving in Tokyo, Japan as missionaries.

Sofia thinks daddy and Uncle Paul look more alike now that daddy has shaved.

Sofia and Gramma Leesa making music together.

Gramma Leesa and Selah just hanging out.

PopO. and daddy already have the girls rootin' for the Cubs!

Next time you're in the Chicagoland area be sure to come visit.  There is always room at the Sheckler Inn.

Mimi's Cafe and Mi!

Just recently I discoverd that there are now two Mimi's in Illinois.  The closest one is 31.4 miles away (an hour drive on our country roads).  So last Thursday when Kevin's brother called to say he was in the area attending a conference and wanted to meet us half way somewhere, well, I figured, Mimi's was half way.  Mmmmmm...I loved it.  Mimi's is one of my favourite places for a few reasons.

1.  French Onion soup.  Need I say more.

2.  My senior year of college I worked there for 5 weeks.   This was significant because during the interview process I was assured that I would not need to work Sundays.  After four Sundays in a row of being scheduled I quit.  

3.  Apt. 101 dinner dates.  Years as roommates and for many years after, Wendy, Julie and I would meet at Mimi's Cafe.   Those were special times of sweet encouragement, sharpening, and accountability between three sisters in Christ.  

I'll be making that again....soon.

No way! $3.92.

Yes, I was in shock.  I mean, really, how long has it been since I paid less than $4/gal. for gas?  A long, long time.  No surprise, around July 4 gas was $4.39/gal.  Two weeks ago we were paying $4.24.  So today, when I saw $3.92 I was elated.  That means, three dollars and twenty more cents to spend at the grocery store (where prices have not dropped).

You call me what?

One of the most important decisions a parent makes is in naming their child.  Do you name your child after a family member?  What does the name mean?  And, of course, you go through the rhyming of the name making sure..or just getting prepared for the playground name calling. 

  

Personally, my middle name wasn't one that I embraced too fondly as a child/teenager.  I simply went by Keri L. Overstreet.   As an adult, however, I so love my name because I am named after my father and I appreciate its uniqueness.

When our eldest child was about 2 yrs. old she went through the phase of calling us by our given names (Kevin, Keri) and at times she still will call us by our nicknames given to each other (babe, sweets).   A couple of months ago, her daddy and she came up with a nickname for me which has kind of stuck.  And she calls me...Mama LaDon.  Who would've ever thought?

Unknown Destination, Here We Come!

This past Friday morning I packed bags with bathing suits, diapers, baby food, and changes of clothes for warm and cool weather. I did so not knowing exactly where we as a family would be spending the weekend. The only hint Kevin gave me was that we would be driving 203 miles north. We headed out at 10 a.m. and around 2 p.m. we pulled into Spurgeon Bay, in Door County, WI.

To say that we enjoyed our time up north would be an understatement. Most of our time was spent driving around the peninsula touring the various bay villages, as well as the state parks. We took time to enjoy a traditional fish boil, play in the hotel swimming pool, and watch the sunset at Potawatomie Park.

Kevin and the girls at Spurgeon Bay.

Daddy and Selah playing in the hotel swimming pool.

Sofia waiting for the fish to boil.

And boy, did it boil!

The church where "The Old Rugged Cross" was introduced by its author. It was first sung as a duet during revival services.

Door County is a place we hope to return. We were surrounded by the beauty of farmland, trees, coastline, and a sky streaked with purple and orange thunder clouds as the sun set. But the most beautiful part of the weekend was simply being together as a family. Thank you, Lord.

You still can develop film.

Ash forgot to bring the battery pack to her really nice camera so we dug out the old 35mm camera and used film I found in my junk drawer (which expired in 10/2007).  I thought she was still able to capture some great photos.  Taking the film to the drugstore for developing made me nostalgic.

Keri's (little) sister.

My sister Ashley came to visit us this past week.  Ashley and I didn't grow up together (she is 18 years younger than me) but that doesn't mean we aren't close.  Our shared heart for Jesus and our shared heart for travel is what allows for us to have sweet fellowship whenever we are together.   

Last month Ashley graduated from photography school in Massachusetts and has now moved to the Big Apple to pursue a career in her area of study.  As her big sister I am so proud of her.  She is not only seeking to do something she loves but she daily seeks Christ.  Thanks for visiting us Ash.  

Big sis, little sis.

Selah, Aunt Ashley and Sofia.

Sofia and Aunt Ashley.

Selah and Aunt Ashley.

10 on the 10th

Our baby is 10 months old.  She is such a sweetie.  She loves to crawl after her big sister as fast as she can and pulls up on anything she can to gain a better view of what is going on around her.  Words that begin with "b" seem to be the extent of her vocabulary (bye-bye, ball, bear, bite) but of course, she does know who to call mama.

Summer Reading

I have really enjoyed my summer reading material (see my recent reads on the right pane). What have you been reading?

Ahhh....vacation!

Being on vacation simply meant...

...not answering the phone or being connected to the computer.

...playtime was spent outdoors fishing and playing whiffle ball.

...eating and laughing with family around a bonfire.

...getting bit by mosquitos.

...watching the sun set at 10:30 p.m.

...enjoying God as the creator of the beauty surrounding us.

My mom and Bill's lake cottage in Manistee, MI.  We head here every summer.

Between Two Worlds: Essential Reading for Church Youth and Parents

Here is a link to a suggested reading list for 1st thru 12th graders, and their parents. I have a lot of catching up to do!

Between Two Worlds: Essential Reading for Church Youth and Parents