Vacation in Florida

We were blessed by some friends to be able to go to Florida earlier this month for our family vacation. They let us stay in their condo for a week for FREE! The condo was in Clearwater, FL and it was absolutely gorgeous. We brought food to cook all week and we just basically became beach bums. Kilee Anne LOVED the beach! Our friends even babysat Kilee for a day so that Scott and I could have a date on the beach. They recommended the coolest restaurant on Anna Maria Island called the Sandbar. It was so great! This was definitely a dream vacation in every sense of the word. Kilee Anne was a good traveler to be in the car for so long, too. Thanks Cushings for a spectacular time! I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves about how much fun we had.

Our Trip to the Zoo!

Hello everyone! I just wanted to share some pictures from our trip to the zoo on Saturday! It was a great family day. Kilee Anne really enjoyed seeing the animals and Scott and I had fun, too. We started with all of the big animals, which Kilee really enjoyed. The picture where Scott's holding her is from the Elephant exhibit where they were looking at the new baby elephant, Scotty. She loved the giraffes, too. We walked through the petting zoo as well and Kilee was very interested in the goats. We brought some snacks with us and sat down and ate for awhile and soon Kilee Anne was asleep! Scott and I enjoyed the rest of the zoo, especially the Herpaquarium with the Albino alligator, "King Louie." We were walking through the snake exhibit in the herpaquarium and just when we got to the dark room with all of the snakes in it, I stepped on a straw that some kid had left in the floor and nearly screamed! Scott thought it was pretty funny. After the zoo, we went out for Chinese food. It was great day! We were so excited to get to take our kid to the zoo! Enjoy the pictures. . .

New Pictures

Here are a few new pictures! This is from our anniversary date last night. We went to PF Chang's and ate incredible Chinese. One of the perks of PF Chang's is that they have a Gluten Free Menu for Scott, so he has a lot of food to choose from. It was great! They brought us free desserts, too! One for me and a special GF one for Scott. They were so thoughtful. Then, we went to Java Brewing Co. for some coffee and on home to relieve our wonderful babysitters, a couple of college students from summer staff. Kilee Anne did really well. We hung out for awhile and then went on to bed. Scott and I are both sick with the same virus Kilee had! Oh well.
Here are a few pictures of Kilee playing in the living room that I thought you all might enjoy. She's a sweetie!

August Update

Hello Everyone! Sorry it's been so long since we've posted. Camp is now over and we have moved back home until next May. It was such an amazing summer. So many youth and children surrendered their lives to Christ, to full-time ministry and decided to get real in their relationship with Christ! It was hard to be away from home at times, but when we look at the big picture -- it was a tiny sacrifice when compared to the bountiful kingdom harvest we witnessed at camp. We are so blessed to be a part of such an amazing ministry!
Kilee Anne continues to grow like a weed! She is now 7 and a half months old, sitting up by herself, scooting around in circles on her belly, and babbling endlessly (da da da da ta ta ta ta ba ba . . .) It is too cute! We laugh because sometimes she talks in a rough-sounding voice like she's growling. We were watching Independence Day on cable the other night and Bill Pullman plays the president in it. He's always been known for his growly voice and Scott and I just started giggling because we were thinking, "Please God, don't let our little girl's voice sound like Bill Pullman's." She's stayed pretty healthy over the past few weeks, but this week she came down with a random cold virus. The doctor told us there's no medicine that will help, just to wait it out. She's been a trooper -- I'm just exhausted from being up with her all night suctioning out her nose and giving her Tylenol and Benedryl. We'll make it.
As of tomorrow, Scott and I will have been married 4 years! We have a big date planned, complete with a babysitter and reservations at a fancy restaurant. I am SO pumped! Well, i need to get to sleep while little miss Kilee is sleeping. Here are some recent pictures -- enjoy!

Father's Day Weekend

We had a great weekend at home! Camp is great, but it's so nice to have some family time at the house. Here are a few pictures of things we did together!

June Update

Hello everyone! It seems like forever since we've posted anything on the blog. Camp is in full swing now and to be honest, we haven't really had time to get on the computer other than to pay bills and check email. Crossings is going so very well. The summer staff is very mature and is making it their daily goal to share Christ with students so that the students can "cross over from death to life." (John 5:24) It has been such a blessing to watch the Lord work through them. Scott is doing such a great job. He is very tired but he has some amazing help from his assistant program directors Reagan and T. Week 2 starts on Monday!

We have been living out at the camp with the Associate Director's family, the McGraths. Kari McGrath is a great friend of mine, so it has definitely been a blessing to be there! It definitely makes it feel more like home. Kilee Anne has been enjoying herself as she is passed from one summer staffer to another -- I'll never be able to set her down again after the summer! Oh well, I want her around all of them -- you can never start too early with role models! Ha ha. Kilee Anne and I are traveling home on Wednesday of every week because I tutor 2 girls that evening and then we go to playgroup on Thursday morning. It's nice to have this time at home every week to mow, catch up on laundry and just have some normalcy. I will say though, we have never enjoyed camp more! God is teaching us so many things as we are just learning how to abide in Him day by day. I think one of the most interesting things He has been bringing to my attention is that this world is not my home, that my citizenship is in heaven. Therefore all of my struggles, material desires and earthly needs are temporary and pale in comparison with the eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison that awaits us. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) This puts everyday in an eternal perspective! Please pray for me in this as I'm sure there is a reason I'm learning this right now.

Kilee Anne continues to be the most adorable baby on the face of the earth ( no bias here). Ha! She is doing so many new things. Here are a few: everything within reach goes right into her mouth, if something is not in reach she will roll and wiggle to get it, she's babbling vowel sounds constantly, she can pull her leg up and put all of her toes in her mouth, she can sit unassisted for short periods of time, she flails her arms and whacks things (like our dinner plates on the table while we eat), she is fascinated by animals like the camp horses and our pets, she can laugh whenever she thinks something is funny, and she's showing signs that she might crawl soon! It is absolutely crazy how much she is growing!!! We just continually thank the Lord for her -- she is such a miracle!!! Here are a couple of pics of her that I took this morning as she played in her exersaucer -- a toy which evidently tastes great!

New Experiences

Hello Everyone! Just another update. Kilee Anne is helping me type ... check out her mad skills ...,kfvg NNNNNNNNNNNNn. Pretty impressive, huh? Sheer genius! Scott is spending his days and nights getting ready for camp here lately. He works so hard! Staff will arrive a little later THIS MONTH! We are getting excited. I haven't been up to much out of the ordinary. Just being a mommy! Kilee Anne has been so much fun lately. We're trying solids (just rice cereal now), but she's getting really good at eating from a spoon. She wears more than what actually makes it into her belly, but that's the fun of it all! She's sitting supported in her little "Bumbo seat" which she loves. And anything that is lying within a foot of her goes right into her mouth as soon as she reaches it. We're still not sleeping through the night, but we have faith that she'll make it through the night someday! We took her to Long Run Park the other day and fed the ducks and geese. She had a blast and took a great nap in her stroller while Scott and I had some time to hang out together. Here are a few really fun pictures for your viewing pleasure. Love you all!

Update

Hey family and friends! Hope you all are doing well. We're doing really well here! Kilee Anne is growing every day and is surprising us all the time with what she can do! Right now she can sit supported, she's learned how to squeal, chuckle, and do the "airplane" (on her stomach with her head and feet off of the floor). It's pretty exciting!
Scott and I are doing well. Camp is getting so close and it's starting to get REALLY busy around here. It's hard to believe that in just a few weeks, life will be completely different as we switch to "camp mode" and move out to Cedarmore. Please pray that Kilee Anne weathers the change well. It will be a big change for us and for her! Our staff is all ready to go and will be arriving in just a few weeks. The theme this summer is "ONE", focusing on "One Truth, One Lord, One Hope, One Call, Only ONE." from Ephesians 4. Go to the website, located under our "Links" and check it out! Pray for Scott as he prepares, it's a LOT to do! Please pray for me that I would be understanding of his schedule and support him prayerfully and patiently. And also please pray for Kilee Anne, that she would make the most of her time with Scott while he's home in the evenings and not be too fussy! Thank you so much for your prayers and your friendship. Enjoy these pictures! Scott took them! Isn't he great? I've also posted the camp logo for Summer 2007 so you can see it.

3 Months Old!

Wow! Has it really been three months since we met Kilee Anne? Unbelieveable. She is doing so well and is growing up fast! **Mother wipes tear from eye** We are officially in our 3-6 month size clothes now. It was so sad to pack away those little tiny outfits that she can't wear anymore! But this stage is very exciting, too.
Here are a few new pictures of her. We tried to pull our Wildcats through the other day -- even Kilee Anne was dressed to cheer them on, but no luck. She has started to smile all the time now and really enjoys playing in the floor. Every day she's doing something new! This week, Scott taught her how to splash in the tub. It was SO adorable! He would splash his hand in the water, and then she would get her legs and arms going with a big grin on her face! We have GOT to get that on video. We're still not sleeping through the night every night, but we're getting closer all the time. On good nights, she's sleeping from about 11 pm to 5 am. It's wonderful!
Enjoy the pictures!!!

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

We have been snap-happy with the camera these days! I just wanted to post a few of our favorite Kilee Anne pictures for your viewing pleasure. She is doing really well. Her colic is getting resolved and she is a much happier baby every day. She is doing so many new things!
The pictures are titled: Before Playgroup
After Playgroup
Grrr . . . Bathtime.
Little Swimmer

Enjoy!

2 Months old!

Hello everyone! Sorry it's been awhile since we've posted. Things have been pretty busy around here with Kilee Anne. She has had colic (officially diagnosed by Dr. ) and has had a pretty rough time with crying and gas pains. This past week has been better because we've started using something our Dr. recommended called Gripe Water. It is really helping! She's happier.
We're still involved in weekly activities together. On Wednesday mornings, we go to Mom 2 Mom at church and we just got involved in a playgroup on Thursday mornings. It's been really good for her and for me! This Sunday is Kilee Anne's first week in the church nursery. We're hoping all goes well with that.
We went to our 2 month well-baby checkup yesterday and Kilee Anne is doing so well developmentally! She weighed 10 lbs. 8.4 oz. and was 22.5 inches long which puts her exactly in the 50th percentile for growth, a good thing. She had her 2 month immunizations as well. It was so hard to hold her down and see her get those shots, but she was SO brave! I was extremely proud of her. She only cried for a minute and then just quietly rested. What a gal! We don't have to go back to the doctor until her 4 month well-baby visit, barring any illnesses.
Scott and I are doing well. Things are starting to get pretty busy at work as the camp season gets closer and closer. It's hard to believe that summer is just around the corner! I'm doing pretty well, too. I'm just ready for spring to come and brighten up these soggy, cold weather days! We'll be posting again soon -- thanks for reading!

Playing With Daddy

I got these cute shots of Kilee Anne and Scott playing on the couch. She was bright-eyed and having a good time! Still no real smiles yet. She might be reaching that milestone a little later than normal since she was a little early. We'll be waiting for it, that's for sure! It's been a fairly good week. We went to our Mom 2 Mom group again this week. It's such a blessing to get together with other women and be able to take Kilee Anne along, too. We meet at church and go through Biblical principles for becoming better wives and mothers, and then we meet in groups to talk about our kids and share our concerns. It has been so great! I've needed it.
Kilee Anne has been pretty fussy these past few days. It seems like her tummy is bothering her, but it's hard to be sure because most of the time she stops crying when we pick her up. I hope she starts to get less and less fussy. It's hard to hear her cry all the time because it makes me sad for her, but it is also frustrating. She seems to really be in a good mood when Scott comes home! He must just have that effect on us ladies! Please be praying for us as we try to navigate this tough phase. Enjoy the pictures!

My One Month Birthday!

We had a good doctor's visit today! Kilee Anne had her 1 month well-baby visit today with Dr. W and he said she was "just fine." She's now 21 inches long and weighs 8 pounds 10 ounces -- healthy as can be! Not bad for a girl that's only technically supposed to be 11 days old. Here are some new pictures of our little lovey-dovey for your viewing pleasure.

I'm 3 weeks old!

Hello everyone! Sorry for the hold-up on the Kilee Anne pictures. We've been extremely sleep-deprived the past 3 weeks! Kilee Anne is doing so well here at home. She's been eating and gaining well and she just gets cuter every day. I'm adjusting to being a stay-at-home mom slowly but surely. It's a LOT of baby time, but it is such a blessing. Scott's been incredible -- he's such a great daddy!
Here are some new pictures. The one where it looks like she's holding her head up and posing -- well, she's doing exactly that! She is very strong and lifts her head like this all of the time. The other two pictures were taken today while she was on the couch with her daddy. Look at those feet! Definitely got those from dad.
Thanks again for all of your prayers through these first few weeks of her life. God has blessed us immeasurably through this little girl. Please continue to pray that we would be godly parents and make right choices for her! She's our little miracle, fresh from the Lord.