End of Summer Beach Fun!!

Thanks to the generosity and hospitality of our friends, the Hawthornes, we were able to spend last weekend at the Outer Banks. We stayed in Nags Head. If you've never been to that part of the US, you should go. It is beautiful all along that far eastern edge of North Carolina.

This was Allie's first beach experience, and she LOVED it!! I'm pretty sure she would have no trouble being a beach bum baby!! She loved playing in the sand; and, no, she didn't try to eat it. When we stood her on the packed sand near the water, she would stand there for a minute and then take off running toward the water.

The only two times she was really grumpy was when Joy tried to take her one-year portraits. Despite Allie's best attempts to undermine the photo shoots, we got a few good ones. We'll do a special one-year post with all those pics.

Thanks to our good friend Valerie, we also got some family portraits--first time since Christmas! They turned out really well, and Joy's considering hiring her as a second photographer for Joyful Seasons Photography!!

Allie also loved playing with the Hawthorne's dog, Bailey. He was a sweetheart; and, although I know he grew tired of her constantly wanting to play with him, he was very patient with her.

Here are a few pictures from last weekend and a couple of Allie feeding herself lunch at home--always a messy experience!!

These first pictures are at the aquarium in Manteo (pronounced maneeow). It is not nearly as big as the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans, but it was great for Allie. She thoroughly enjoyed the fish, sharks, turtles, otters, etc. She also liked dipping her hand in the petting area where Joy got to pet a sting ray.







These pictures are in Nags Head at the beach and beach house:









These pictures were taken at Jockey's Ridge, an almost-100-foot sand dune. From the top you can see the sound on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other.








Here are a few pictures from Thursday at home. Allie was feeding herself her entire lunch: cheese, sandwich, vienna sausage and tomato. She didn't eat it all (actually, she doesn't like the tomatoes or sausages), but she did pretty well. Of course, she did make a mess!!




Now that the summer is officially over, we are getting back in school mode. Tony's first class is Monday morning. He will be taking Theology III, New Testament I and Philosophy this semester. We are also getting ready for company in a couple of weeks. We're looking forward to spending some time with the Rancatores and with Jane and Jacob while they're here for Allie's first birthday on Sept. 2. Also, Joy and Allie will be concentrating very hard on potty training beginning Monday. We're both as ready as we can be!! We're open to suggestions (as long as they don't include "don't even consider potty training until she's at least two years old" because, quite frankly, I will give you plenty of proof that that's not a very good view to hold)!

Life As We Know It

Since starting to really walk a month and a half ago, Allie has learned so much and started doing so many more adorable things. Let us share some of her daily activities with you via pictures:

Last week, we went to the Kids' Exchange: The Exchange provides a venue for people all around the Triangle to sell their "gently used" furniture (cribs, toddler beds, high chairs, swings, rocking chairs, etc., etc.), strollers, clothes (babies and kids), bedding, decorations, toys, stuffed animals, books, videos, games...and more!! As a perk, sellers get to shop on Thursdays, but anyone who wants can shop on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (1/2 off day). It doesn't cost anything to get in and they do this twice a year (in January and July). We got to go on Thursday, thanks to a friend. I got Allie a plush rocking horse that makes noise (probably $70-$100, brand new) for $10. I got her an outdoor swing for $5. Also, I got her a bag FULL of toys; and my total was only $36!! One of the "toys" I got was a BRAND NEW plush Noah's ark with all the animals from POTTERY BARN for only $7. All of the stuff I got looks virtually brand new.

She LOVES her horse, Neigh-Neigh!! She's quite a little cowgirl!





She's enjoying her new swing, too.


Allie thoroughly enjoyed a blueberry muffin made by our friend Valerie!



Boxes make the best toys!!


Allie loves books, whether they're hers, Mama's or Daddy's. Here she's trying to share her book with Neigh-Neigh:





Allie knows the word "hairbrush." When we ask her where her her hairbrush is, she'll pick it up if it's nearby and start to "brush" her hair or she'll put her hand on her hair. A couple of days ago she found a ponytail holder in Joy's purse. Without prompting, she picked it up, held it on her head and walked toward Joy. She is precious with her little ponytail!






Allie has learned that she can instantly see the pictures I take of her. She gets very excited when she sees her image on the screen!


Allie is constantly trying to get into things. She also does cute, random things like lying on the floor.



We're about to embark on the potty training adventure, so Pappy and Grammy sent Allie money to get her potty chair. We also got a special book about learning to use the potty, some big girl panties and some pretty lacy white tights!



Here are some pictures of Allie's room for those of you who haven't seen it:

Closing in on a year!!

In just over a month and a half, our baby girl will be one year old!! It's so hard to believe!! It seems like just yesterday we watched two lines appear on that little test!

The past month has been a great growing time for our family as God has shown His goodness and power in our lives. We have been in a transition phase since soon after the first of the year from First Baptist Church in Durham to wherever God would have us. We are now at the end of the membership process at Open Door Baptist Church in North Raleigh (about 10-15 minutes from our house).

We loved First and did not want to leave. We had made wonderful friendships there and had learned so much from the outstanding, godly pastoral staff; however, it did not make sense to us to drive such a long distance when gas prices and life with a little one would prevent us from being more involved than going for worship on Sunday mornings. We knew we needed to be more active not only in Bible study, but also in ministry. Open Door is definitely where God wants us at this season in our life. We are very excited about what God is doing in and through both churches, and we're thankful to be part of the ministry at Open Door while we will continue to pray for the work in Durham.

Dwayne Milioni, the senior pastor, is a great expositional preacher. He is preaching through Hebrews right now. We'd encourage you to listen to his sermons on the church's website: http://opendoorlife.com/index.php

Our care group is wonderful!! We have an amazing group of people. We're all around the same age, but we have a good mix of couples, families and singles as well as seminary and non-seminary folks. We are a new group, but we are already building strong, loving relationships. We pray for each other, share with one another, minister to one another and involve ourselves in each others' lives. God is really working in our hearts and lives, and it's exciting to see what He is doing and how he brought each of us together to form this group for a particular reason.

One of the best parts of the care groups at Open Door is the emphasis on outreach in our community. Each group is required to have at least one ongoing ministry or outreach. Examples of these opportunities include hosting a blood drive at the church, adopting Durant Nature Park, assisting in local schools and holding free oil changes for the cars of single or elderly women. We joined with another care group to adopt the elementary school next door to the church. We took food in for a teacher appreciation day and plan on doing other things once school gets back in session.

We had our care group members over to our house on July 3 for a cookout and then to hand out "goodie bags" and minister to the people who came to the hill behind our house to watch the fireworks. This turned out to be a wonderful experience for each of us because it took us out of our comfort zones and we have heard some encouraging reports already of the effects of our outreach. We have had other opportunities on individual levels for witnessing to individuals in our community, and we're praying together for salvation for these people as well as further opportunities to share the Gospel.

Allie continues to get bigger and stronger every day. She is walking constantly now. Tony described the way she walks best: She looks like a tiny drunk person who's trying too hard to not look drunk! She still just has six teeth even though those two on the bottom have been looking like they're about to pop through for a couple of months. She loves to brush her teeth, though!! She gets very excited and does a great job of brushing them BY HERSELF!

She is getting more and more fond of reading books. She does a great job of turning the pages when I tell her. We have our favorites that we read most often. One of the books is "Guess How Much I Love You." The last sentence is "I love you right up to the moon...and back!" Well, Allie knows that sentence and anytime I say it to her, she gets a huge grin on her face. We've starting going to the local library for story time for her age group on Tuesday mornings. We've only been twice so far, but she has really enjoyed it both times.

One of her new games is to put food or toys in our mouths. She also likes "giving" us her toys--of course, she wants them back!!

She loves to look out the window; in fact that's what she's doing right now as I'm typing this! She also loves the water--bath time, time in her little pool in the backyard, splashing her hands in the fountain on campus or fun in a REAL pool!! She's quite a little fish! I wish we could go to the big pool more often. We've only been once, but have plans to go to one near our house with some friends soon.

I'm sorry for such a lag between posts; but I have been doing a lot more Bible reading, as well as concentrating on these outreach opportunities. Please pray that we will continue to grow in Christ and desire His Word, that our marriage would become stronger and more founded on Him, that we will be godly parents to Allie and that God will continue to mold us as we prepare for vocational ministry one day. Also, please pray for our care group--that we will continue to grow closer to God and one another and that God would use us in the church and in the community in a mighty way.

Well, here are a few pictures from the past month. We've only had one photo shoot with Allie since last time, but I'm still hoping for a few more very soon!!

First cheese sandwich--or what's left of it!!


She loves the fridge; probably because she loves food!!


Allie is very, very strong. She loves to pick up heavy things, like packages of diapers. Last night, she picked up AND WALKED WITH a three pound dumbbell!!


Tony had a good Father's Day. We gave him a photobook full of pictures of him and Allie.


Laundry day--yes, she's wearing Joy's T-shirt!


Pianist-in-training


She'd much rather drink out of our cups than her sippie cup.


This is a very rare moment--Allie's not big on cuddling!


Some pics from our July 4th shoot:






Such a beautiful baby!!


This is her pulling diapers out of the caddy: