Rohrer Family

Recent Emma pictures

2008-03-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

Emma has changed so much over the past few months! She is growing (who knew that feet could skip one whole shoe size!), playing so much, and going on the potty!!!! This is a very welcome development, especially since she will be welcoming a new brother or sister in September! As you can see, she is already practicing her big-sister reading duties.
Here she is with Aunt Shyla, Jackson, and Owen.
Ready to play in the park in her new raincoat.

White House tour 12-07

2008-01-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

Steve's cousin, Elizabeth Wiebe, works at the White House, and she was able to give us a tour of the East Wing. We were so excited to see the President's House, especially as it was all decorated for Christmas!
Emma was enthralled with this lady who was playing a harp!

Family picture next to one of the beautifully decorated fireplaces.

The State Dining Room. This is where the Queen of England and other State guests are hosted for official formal dinners.
This is a model of the White House made out of White Chocolate. Yum...A mens' choir from Yale was performing in the front hallway. The stairway behind them leads up to the private residence of the President.The National Christmas Tree

November and December

2008-01-07T13:25:00.000-08:00

Ah, my poor neglected blog. I am going to try to catch up a little with what has been going on the last 2 months. Here are a few general pictures of Emma from November and December.

Sitting on some steps outside the hospital ("Hopistat") where Daddy works.
All bundled up...
With Pastor Harney, our new assistant pastor. Emma was wearing her Halloween costume (a giraffe).
We had our first snowfall!
Emma enjoys being in the kitchen. She loves to help!! I'm not sure what possessed her to stack her cup on the milk jug, but anyway, it made a cute picture. :)So--here is her new Big Girl Bed. I was prepared for some sleep adjustments when I moved her out of the crib, but the change went off without a hitch! She loves her toddler bed and I love not having to lift her in and out of the crib anymore! Although I must confess that I did shed a few tears when it hit me that she had grown out of that crib. It was only yesterday that we were putting it together before she was born!Since she started her new 2's & 3's Sunday school class she was able to participate in the Christmas program. Her class sang 'Away in a Manger'. She didn't sing much at the time, but I now hear it daily--all three verses pretty much word perfect!

Arriving in Hawaii

2007-11-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Steve and I were able to take a 9-day trip to Hawaii. I had always wanted to see Hawaii, but I never thought that we would be able to go at this point in our lives--with Steve in residency and Emma still a toddler. However, Steve was attending a Sports Medicine conference for part of the week, and Mom and Dad Rohrer came back east and stayed with Emma. So the Lord allowed us this wonderful trip and we thoroughly enjoyed it! We went with our good friends, Cory and Jen Keller. Cory and Steve are both 3rd year residents, and they are about as alike as can be. They are both D.O.'s who are interested in Sports Medicine.

Arriving in Kona!
Our first meal! The food was absolutely amazing throughout our whole time in HI! Everything was so fresh--especially the fish! Our hotel was great-the Royal Kona Resort. Below you can see the view from our back patio!

The resort had a private lagoon where we could snorkel and swim!Here are some pictures of the resort.

Emma in October

2007-10-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

Here are a few recent pictures from October. I will hopefully be posting some pictures from the Hawaii trip in the next few days. She loves, loves, loves her umbrella!
And she loves Buthter (Buster) from the Formans' farm! ;)
Enjoys wearing table advertisements from Panera....

Loves wrapping up in the flower towel that Grandma Mook got her.
She also loves watching football games!
Grandma and Grandpa Mook were here last week for a visit! We had a great time with them!

Josh, Greta, and 'Methin' come to PA

2007-09-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

We got to see Josh, Greta, and Meredith a few weekends ago up at the Formans' farm. We had such a wonderful time!! The Formans (Greta's parents) are always so hospitable--we wish we could get up to see them more often, since we only live about 2 hours away.

The girls--Emma looks pensive, Meredith looks reflective.
Meredith's feet--they are so cute!!
Emma started to warm up right away. Meredith wasn't too sure yet...

Catching up

2007-09-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

So at the prompting of my dear sisters-in-law I am catching up from the past few weeks... Emma is still working on riding her bike. We have suspended our pedaling lessons until we can get a bike helmet, due to a little mishap last week. She was fine, but Dr. Daddy, having sewn up many such children in the ER, wisely suggested a little protective headgear. We have been enjoying many beautiful walks in the park!!
I think Emma is beginning her quest into the world of 'printhesses'. She loves this purple crown, and I have recently purchased some new toothpaste that has princesses on it and some new pull-up diapers that have princesses on them. She loves both items very dearly and points out to me each time she sees the 'printhesses'.
Still loves Mommy's sunglasses...
Randomly puts clothes on her head--this is a pair of shorts that she had been wearing that day.

Loves it when Daddy comes home!! He had just finished a night on call and Emma and I were getting ready to leave for church.
I was so glad that I caught this sweet picture!!

Little Cutie

2007-08-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

One of our good friends (Aunt Jen) got this t-shirt for Emma. Then, at the suggestion of Aunt Greta I bought some headbands for her, one of which matched the shirt perfectly! This was the result in yesterday's outfit.

Various August pictures

2007-08-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

Reading glasses from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I think they remind her of Grandma and Grandpa Mook who both wear reading glasses.

She was proud of her lined up wooden dominoes.She likes to put the cupboard doors together to make a 'tent.'
"Sshhhh". Don't bother her when she's in her tent.
Concentrating on...
getting this child's pacifier in.There.. that's better. Baby looks much happier now, apparently.Time for a cheezy grin!! Mommy is always taking pictures at moments like these.Emma loves our neighbors! This is Janet (known as 'Jantie' at our house).
And this is Sally, the Giver of Animal Crackers. When this picture was taken, Emma had already asked Sally repeatedly (and was asking again) if she could go inside and get some Anmal Chachers. Thankfully, Sally is very hard of hearing, so she couldn't understand what Emma was saying. Sigh. I suppose this sort of thing only gets worse as the child's speech improves.

Daddy time

2007-08-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, I love that my husband is in medicine. I love that he has no doubt that this is God's plan for our lives, and I love that he is a Family Medicine resident. Even though the hours are long and he works many nights, when I am walking in the spirit even that doesn't really bother me. I know that his favorite part of each day is when he drives up to our house in The Purple Car (Emma's title for our Dodge Neon, which is indeed purple) and sees a little blonde girl at the front door saying "Daddy tum home!!!" Ironically, it is Emma's first question to me when I enter her room each morning: "Daddy tum home?" or "Where Daddy go" or "Give Daddy big hug"(followed by a dramatic groan as if she were giving someone a big squeeze) "and big tiss" (followed by a loud kissing sound). Emma and I usually take the 'bown car'--our Nissan Maxima which has air conditioning and drives fairly smoothly-- but it is her cherished dream each day to be allowed to ride in the Purple Car--which does not have very good air conditioning and drives rather jerkily. If jerkily is a word. Anyhow, whenever the three of us are going somewhere in one car, she will invariable run toward the Purple Car saying, "Ride purple car"? But I digress. This post is about Daddy Time and so Daddy Time is what I will discuss. I am so thankful for a husband who loves to come home and spend time with his little girl. They have so much fun together!! One of our favorite things to do on the Saturday mornings that Steve is not working is to go sit in Starbucks and get a coffee and a little pastry treat. Emma takes a coloring book or something like that and the three of us sit down and enjoy the time together. The 2 pictures below were from 2 Saturdays ago.

She also enjoys helping Daddy wash the cars.

Last Monday night I had a choir function to attend, so Steve was able to spend the whole evening with Emma. They went for a walk and had so much fun in the creek. Emma (white shorts and all...) couldn't get enough of splashing in the water. Steve said she was shivering but she still wanted to stay in the water.

Emma is 2 !!!

2007-08-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

Last week Emma turned 2 years old! We were so glad to be able to celebrate with my parents. I made her cake (a ladybug--see pictures below) and allowed her to lick the beaters. You can see her reaction.

We had a little party for her that night. She wasn't too sure what to think about the hats...
...but everybody else enjoyed them.After dinner and before cake and presents, Emma had some time to play with Daddy. She has already proved to have great balance as you can see. She can stand for quite a few seconds balancing on Steve's hands without any help!Here she is with a few of her presents. Last year she really just played with the wrapping paper, but this year she actually had fun with the gifts!

Phoenix, San Diego, and Phoenix again

2007-08-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

We went out to Phoenix for the last 2 1/2 weeks. Steve did a rotation at Midwestern University (his medical school alma mater) working in their OMM and Family Medicine Clinics. Emma and I basically relaxed and spent time with my parents and some other friends.

Shortly after we arrived, Emma got comfy in her chair (which she pretends is a recliner) with her phone, her sunglasses (sun-jachoo) and her drink.

She also wasted no time in pulling Grandma's earrings off (no worries, they are clip-ons) and putting them on herself. She is really into jewelry as I think I have mentioned before.

One of the highlights of our trip was our time in San Diego meeting Baby Cousin Meredith! Emma had talked about it so much before we went, and so she was delighted to hold Meredith all by herself!

Back in Phoenix, Emma and I went to the zoo with several of our friends from the church there. I absolutely love this picture!
We were also able to get some great Mexican food at Arriba's with our wonderful friends, Joseph and Krysti Krall. I used to work with them when we were still living in Phoenix, and we have kept in touch over the years. We so appreciate their friendship!
And here is Emma back in her chair with Baby. :)

Brad and EB's visit

2007-08-06T15:12:00.000-07:00

Several weekends ago (as you can tell, I am still catching up on my blog) our dear friends Brad, EB, and Carolyn (aka "Little Carolyn") Irving came to visit. We have known them for years as Steve and Brad were in medical school together. The Irvings live in Michigan now while Brad is completing his OB/GYN residency. So we don't get to see each other as often as we would like. We were delighted that they could come. We enjoyed seeing Little Carolyn who is not so little anymore... In fact, she took her first 3 steps to her Aunt Carolyn while they were here! Sadly, Emma, who had caught a nasty virus during our trip to West Virginia, passed it on to LC and Brad. For the whole story you can see EB's blog (see link on mine). She tells it much better than I would. :) Despite the sickness, we had a great time at Hershey Park and we enjoyed great fellowship throughout their visit!

Emma even helped Daddy cook Sunday dinner!

Grace Gospel Church celebration

2007-08-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

Uncle Keith Wiebe was also celebrating his 20th year as the senior pastor of Grace Gospel Church in Huntington. The church had a very special service to honor him and Aunt Becca including a wonderful church dinner after the morning service. We were so glad that we could be there for the occasion. What a blessing to have such godly examples in our family. We praise the Lord for his goodness and for all that has been accomplished through the Wiebes' ministry over the years!
Here is Aunt Debbie (one of Dad Rohrer's sisters) and her husband, Uncle Chuck. They sat near us at the lunch table and we shared a lot of laughs (as usual).
Not all of the cousins could stay for Sunday, but here are some of us. Elizabeth Wiebe, Melissa Rohrer, Maureen Wiebe, Susan and Dan Rundle, Keith and Kim Wiebe with their two kids, David and Danelle, and then Steve, Emma, and me.
And here are the siblings: Sharon Rohrer (cousin), Candy (cousin), Debbie and Chuck Shuster, Becca and Keith Wiebe, Debbie and Paul Rohrer, and Jan and Dan Rohrer.

Family celebration for Wiebe's anniversary

2007-08-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

The day after we went to Baltimore we travelled on to West Virginia. We got to Huntington that afternoon and had a great time at the family suprise party for the Wiebe's 40th anniversary! Becca Wiebe is Steve's dad's sister (there are six siblings in that branch of the Rohrer family). Four of the siblings were there along with numerous cousins, second cousins, etc. Here are 3-Becca, Debbie, and Paul on the swing along with Elizabeth (one of Becca's daughters). We always have so much fun when we get together!Some people (including Emma) had fun in the pool and hot tub. Here is Emma with Daddy, Zach, Josh, and Dan--all cousins. Emma and me with Susan--the youngest Wiebe daughter. She and I were in the Nu Alpha Phi Flames together when we were at Bob Jones. It was fun to see her again.
Emma and David Wiebe (her second cousin). Apparently, they both share a love for lemons. You can see how pleased Emma looks.

Emma's joy was full that night when several of the Aunts found beads for her to wear. This child already has a deep love for jewelry....
Emma wanted to hold Danelle Wiebe, the newest Wiebe grandchild, who was only about 1 month old. I assisted, of course. :)

Baltimore beach house

2007-07-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we visited Baltimore on our way down to West Virginia for a family reunion. One of Steve's old medical school friends lives in Baltimore and she had invited us to visit her. As it turned out, she was unfortunately out of town for the weekend, but she invited us to stay in her house for the night. What a blessing!!! It was absolutely beautiful. Here are a few of the pictures.

We visited the Inner Harbor that evening. This is a huge Barnes and Noble. We didn't go inside, but I have been there before and it is pretty amazing.

Great-grandma Mook

2007-07-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

My dad, Emma, and I were able to travel down to Washington, D.C. to see Grandma Mook on Monday and Tuesday. She has Alzheimer's disease and so she doesn't remember my name or Emma's name, but she was very happy to see us. Emma made herself right at home, talking on Grandma's phone and running her train around Grandma's feet. It was wonderful to see how she brought so much joy to Grandma.

We were also able to see my Uncle Jim (Dad's younger brother) and my Aunt Nancy. Uncle Jim teaches at Capital Bible Seminary there in D.C. and Aunt Nancy works in the front office. We enjoyed seeing where they work and meeting some of their co-workers!
We stopped by to see Grandma one more time before we left on Tuesday afternoon. I think she was tired from the activity, but I am so glad that we got to see her again!

Yankees' game

2007-07-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went with my Dad (who is visiting this week) to a game at Yankee Stadium. He has always wanted to go to a baseball game there, and we had a great time. Emma stayed with friends for the day (Thank you, Anne!!) and thoroughly enjoyed playing with Lauren and Hudson. Steve and I had never been to New York, and we were advised to take the train into the city. It worked out fine, but I was glad Emma was not hanging on me during the hour it took to get there. The weather was perfect!!!

On the way back to the subway we had to change trains and we got to see the Empire State building! We would like to go back to New York when we have a little more time to see the sights.

Last Sunday

2007-07-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

I took some pictures last Sunday. She was all excited about her new shoes (from the clearance section at Target!). We have entered a new phase of Not Smiling for the Camera. This pensive, thoughtful look at the piano was the best I could do... :)

Emma's chums

2007-07-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

We have had so much fun already this summer! Emma has several little friends that she plays with. Of course, Lauren (Yiyen) pictured above, Josiah (with silly glasses) below...

Our neighbor, Anthony...
And more pictures of Lauren and Molly. The girls were swimming in the creek at Molly's house.
Here are Steve and Emma walking up to church with Lauren and her little brother Hudson. Their mom, Anne, was a friend of mine from Bob Jones! What a small world that now we are in the same church!

Dear friends

2007-06-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that Steve's second year of residency is over. The new residents are coming in, and we have had to say good-bye to some very dear friends who have finished their residency years. One of these special families is the Sofoworas: G.G., Nancy, Dara, and Koinsala. G.G. was an internal medicine resident who finished this year and accepted a cardiology fellowship in Philadelphia. His wife, Nancy, has been one of my dearest friends since we moved here. I first met her when we lived in the Delta Apartments for the first few months after we moved. One day we were both hanging out our laundry, and we introduced ourselves to each other. I was very pregnant with Emma, rather homesick and lonely. God brought Nancy along to be a special encouragement to me. I will never forget the first conversation we had, when I found out that she was a Christian! She is Kenyan, her husband is Nigerian, and yet God ordained that she would be here in Pennsylvania at just the right time to be a blessing and edification to me. What wonderful fellowship we enjoyed over these 2 years. I have rarely met a more cheerful and generous woman, and I miss her already. Emma and her son, Dara, played together often. Here is a recent conversation... :)

And here is sweet little Koinsala who is only 2 months old!

Brownies

2007-06-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

Last week Emma helped me make brownies for the first time. I think we have confirmed that she likes chocolate just as much as her Mommy does...
She was very diligent about wiping up the counter after our cooking experience. :)

The Big Slide and The Bike

2007-06-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

I find myself constantly surprised at how much a 21-month old can do by herself (and might I add that this is her new favorite concept of the week. As she says, everything needs to be done by "self"). Two weeks ago I had her up at the park and she was climbing around on the playground. I had gone down the big, twisty slide with her once or twice and then she decided that it was time to do it herself. I was a little skeptical (wasn't it just yesterday that she couldn't even walk, let alone climb?) but sure enough, she did it 6 or 7 times in a row. I was so proud of her that I paged Steve at work. I don't think I pulled him out of surgery or anything. I just had to share the news that Emma went down the big slide by herself! He was duly impressed with his daughter.

While my parents were here last week, by neighbor gave this little bike (with training wheels) to Emma. Now again, I was just going to work on getting a tricycle or something for the summer, but since we have the bike, hey, why not try it? Steve worked with her this last weekend, and she is starting to get the hang of it. Not pedaling, exactly, but her steering is getting better. Our development is set on a hill, so she can coast for quite a way without pedaling. It's so cute!

Mom and Dad's visit

2007-06-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

My parents were with us last week. It was so much fun! Emma's vocabulary really expanded during the time they were there. Mom and Dad spent countless hours reading to Emma. As a result, Emma can now name almost all farm and jungle animals (including my personal favorite-the hippopotamus aka "hippy-potty") She can also count to three and knows all her colors. So clearly she is on the way to genius-level intelligence, right? ;) Probably not, but hey, I was impressed...

She kept my mom in shape. Here they are running up and down the hill.

Shopping and shoes

2007-05-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

Okay, moms and other ladies out there. I have a dilemma. This past weekend 2 of our very close friends from church got married. I was singing/playing in the wedding, so I thought, "Hey, it's been awhile since I had a new dress. What better excuse do I need to do a little shopping?" So for the past 2 weeks I have scoured each and every store that I could think of: TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Ross, Boscov's, Dressbarn, Jones New York, Kaspar, JC Penney, and the list goes on. The result? I wore a dress that I have had since college. Now, mind you, I am very thankful that I can fit into the dress, so I am not complaining. But really, how hard should it be to find a simple Sunday-type dress? I didn't buy a lot of new clothes while I was pregnant because that was only going to be for 9 months. Then I didn't buy any new clothes after I had Emma because I was going to lose all my baby weight. That took a little longer than I expected, but now that I have lost the weight, the stores don't carry Misses sizes that are small enough. So I can't win. Not to mention the price and modesty issues. Sheesh. The few dresses that I found were, of course, very expensive. Does anybody have any ideas/ pointers on where you shop for clothes? I really liked the Casual Corner store, but they have (wouldn't you know) gone out of business. The other issue is that I take a long time when I shop because it's very hard to shop with this little cutie in the picture. She likes to explore. The other day I was in Dressbarn (another fruitless search, might I add) and Emma was admiring herself in one of the mirrors. I stepped around one of the clothes racks momentarily and then I heard, "Mommy? Mommy!" I went toward her voice only to find her retreating into the fitting room area. She just wanted to show me how she had put her hood up by herself (see pictures below).
Oh well, at least Emma is still easy to shop for. Now if I could just get her to put her shoes on the right feet...

Mall rides

2007-05-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

The 'kids' have really been getting into mall rides lately...

Ready for the day!

2007-05-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

After morning haircuts, I always give Emma a bath because if I didn't she would be saying 'itchy diaper' all day. This is what she says any time she has any discomfort on any part of her body. Tags on clothing, hair down her back, they all fall into the category of 'itchy diaper'. These days she loves to be wrapped in the towel and walk down to her room after her bath.
Quite different from the way baths used to be... this was at about 1 month old.

So here she is, almost ready for the day! I think she has gotten taller even since we were in SD because I bought this little sunsuit for her while we were there, and now it looks like a long shirt instead of the dress it is supposed to be. Oh well, I just have her wear shorts with it, and it looks fine.

Haircuts and Kix

2007-05-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

This morning I gave Emma another haircut. I have been cutting her hair every few weeks since she was about 4 or 5 months old. Emma was blessed with lots of hair in the back, but it is just now getting thicker on the top and sides. So, in order that my daughter would not have a mullet, I began cutting her hair. It has actually turned into a cute little bob. Anyway, I always give her a bowl of Kix to keep her occupied while she sits on my lap for the haircut. Well, today after I was done she was still working on her bowl of Kix while she sat on the staircase. After a few minutes she came back to me with an empty bowl. Hmm, I thought, that was fast. Then she turned around and I saw the Kix (Berry Kix, might I add) attached to her 'jammy pants' (as she calls them). No wonder she couldn't find them...

Running!!

2007-05-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

One of Emma's new favorite thing to do is run. She runs up hills and down. She runs back and forth. She runs to me and away from me. She runs with Daddy. She runs with Mommy ("Mommy, run! Run!") Her balance has really improved. Last Sunday night after church we had a fellowship and I realized that I hadn't seen her for awhile. Someone pointed out that she was busy running up and down a very steep hill (for her) next to the church. Every time she would run down I would think she was about to fall, but somehow she didn't. Don't think it never happens, though. Her knees are already an interesting combination of scratches, bumps and bruises. And she's not even 2 yet...
Emma has very definite opinions about things. She already gives directions to her parents (see picture below). Again I say, she's not even 2 yet...sigh. :)

Greta's baby shower

2007-05-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

Also while we were in SD, Emma and I were able to attend Aunt Greta's baby shower! I was so glad that we could be there. Greta's mom, Mrs. Forman, was also able to take part. We can't wait to meet the newest little niece next month!I had to get a picture of the beautiful diaper cake. One of the ladies in the church put it together and it was so cute! I had to explain what it was to Steve, though. He was confused as to the purpose of a 'diaper cake'. I explained that one does not eat a diaper cake; it is just a creative way of giving diapers as a gift along with little toys and miscellaneous baby items. He was relieved.

Greta with another one of her many gifts. What a blessing this shower was! It was so exciting to see how God provided so many things that they will need for the baby!

Emma was in good form. She travelled around the room and scavenged food from various plates. She does this well....You would think that I never feed her at home.

San Diego Zoo

2007-05-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

One Saturday we all (Mom, Dad, Mark, Shannon, Josh, Christianna, Steve, me, Emma, Josh, Greta, Jonathan, Rebecca, and our good friends Joe and Esther Wagnell) went to the zoo (we tend to travel in a pack:)! I was so excited to go this year, because Emma enjoys animals so much more than she used to. Joe and Esther graciously let us use their guest passes. Thanks, Joe and Esther! Here Emma checks out a scary-looking lizard. She didn't seem to mind it, but then, there was a thick pane of glass between them.
The giraffes are always the highlight of my day. I think they are such amazing animals. As you can see, there are 2 babies right now at the SD zoo. I think the smaller one is only a few months old!
The elephants were very active. We went around lunchtime, so all the animals were up and about.
We also got to see a panda up close!

More aunts, uncles, and cousins!

2007-05-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

Whew, I am still catching up from our time in SD.. 2 weeks later! Here are a few more pictures of various and sundry family members. Emma yet again with 'Betty's' head in her 'yap'. By the time we left SD, Emma always referred to Jonathan and Rebecca as 'Johnny' and 'Betty'. Which shows the progress language can make in just 5 weeks. When we first went out there she called them 'No-na-na' and 'Betchy'. :) Uncle Josh always kept her entertained....
Aunt Shannon and Emma at one of our many happy meals at Mom and Dad's house. They are always so gracious to feed the kids--and grandkids.
Emma and Christianna ('Annie'). Josh and Christianna came over one day right as Emma was getting up from her nap. So Christianna got up in the crib and they played very happily!
Shannon and I took the kids to park one day. It was perfect, because there were three swings for the three children (at this point, Christianna was still playing on the jungle gym). We took a picnic lunch and enjoyed spending time together outdoors.

Mommy's shoes

2007-05-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

We spent another week in San Diego after our week in Phoenix. These were just a few cute pictures of Emma all dressed up and ready to go... in Mommy's shoes.

Fun in Phoenix

2007-04-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

Last week we spent in Phoenix. Steve worked the medical tent of the Tempe Ironman competition and then flew to Florida for a 3-day Sports medicine conference. In the meantime, Emma and I stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Mook! Emma spent many hours talking on her phone (pictured above).
Mommy and Emma at the ever-wonderful Chic-Fil-A!
Emma enjoyed seeing the puppies at the pet store. She was a little confused as to why she could not actually feel the puppy through the window...
Emma visits my mom's bird, Jenny. Jenny played an important part of Emma's developmental skills. One day, after seeing the large mess that Jenny made by throwing her bird food on the floor, Emma informed Grandpa Mook: "Jenny threw food on floor." Yes, indeed, this was Emma's first full sentence. Now granted, all of the consonants were not exceptionally clear, but when I asked her to repeat it, she definitely understood what she was saying.
Grandpa Mook and Emma have always had a very special bond. She just lights up when he comes into any room. Here they are at the park! Emma greatly enjoyed the swings and the slide.

Padres game

2007-04-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

We had the chance to go to a Padres game this week. They were playing the SF Giants. Although they lost, we had a great time. As we were, of course, sitting in the cheap seats, we got to see lots of entertainment both on and off the field. At least one person in our section got thrown out of the stadium for bad conduct and several fights between fans broke out a few sections down from us. Ah yes. Good times at the ol' ball game. The stadium is almost brand new and it is beautiful, as you can see from the pictures below.

Resurrection Sunday

2007-04-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter! Tom Chesko, the pastor at the Rohrers' church (Faith Community Bible Church) encouraged us to refer to it as Resurrection Sunday, and I thought that was very appropriate. What a wonderful thing it is to know the good news of the gospel--that Christ died for our sins and rose again to conquer death and hell! We had a most uplifting worship service on Sunday morning. After church we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Mom and Dad's house. I think there were about 22 people (I think we kind of lost count). My mom was also able to fly over from Phoenix and join us for the entire weekend, during which time we celebrated her birthday. Again, Happy Birthday, Mom! We love you!

Here are a few family pictures from Easter. Emma was a little distracted by something across the street, but oh well...

Various relatives

2007-04-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

We have been enjoying our time in San Diego immensely! Steve is busy with work, and Emma and I are able to do various things each day. After 36 years of faithful service, Dad Rohrer retired just a little over a month ago from his position as CFO of the Institution for Creation Research (ICR) here in San Diego. The timing was perfect (God's timing always is!), because Emma and I have been able to spend lots of time with him and Mom.
Here is Emma with Uncle Josh (pronouced 'Jaaa...!'). He is putting his head on her shoulder ('showee'). She really enjoys playing with her aunts and uncles!
Josh and Greta ('Ge-a') are expecting their first baby (another little girl!) in June. We can't wait to meet her. Emma already seems to understand that 'Ge-a' has a 'baboo' in her tummy. It will be so fun to watch these children grow in years to come.
Here is Emma and Christianna--her next oldest cousin. Christianna and her brother, Joshua, are the only other cousins here in San Diego, and Emma has been able to play with them quite a few times since we have been here.
And then there is Aunt Becca (Be-chy). Despite my hopes, at 20 months, Emma is still sucking her thumb and twirling her hair. She has really become attached to Be-chy's long beautiful red hair.... Rebecca has been so patient, though. :)

Good-bye to Audjoo

2007-03-29T14:42:00.000-07:00

Our assistant pastor and his wife, Troy and Annie Thacker, are moving away from our church to minister in another church down in Virginia. We will miss them so much! Emma and their daughter, Audrey, were born just 3 weeks apart, so they have grown up together in the nursery. Emma asks for 'Audjoo' every time we go to church. We had a special going away fellowship for them and got a few pictures of the girls.

Catching up

2007-03-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that I have not posted any pictures for over a month, but so, it seems, is the case. March turned out to be a very busy month as we prepared for a trip to San Diego, and now I finally have a little time to reflect on recent times. Emma is now almost 20 months old. She has really been developing her language skills. She tries to repeat everything that we say and it is cute to see her re-arrange various syllables and words.
Every night when Steve gets home from work, Emma sits down and tells him all about her day. Obviously most of this is just 'baby talk' but I know that she is telling him about the events of the day from certain words I hear. She demands eye contact. For instance, if he is tired and dozes off while she is talking, she will immediately say "Da-da! Da-da!!" very loudly until he wakes up and looks at her. Only when she has his undivided attention will she continue her story. It is so funny!

Dasses!

2007-02-27T09:27:00.000-08:00

Emma received a wonderful gift at the party. Not one, but two pairs of sunglasses! ('Dasses') She was so pleased--although of course both pairs are now lying in the toybox with the earpieces ripped off.

Hudson's birthday

2007-02-27T09:19:00.000-08:00

Emma and I went to a birthday party for our little friend, Hudson, who turned 1! I can't believe that he is already so big. These kids grow so fast... :) This is another of our little friends from church. I thought this picture was so cute. They look like they are having a great conversation!
Hudson blowing out his candle (with help)..

Sledding

2007-02-25T13:07:00.000-08:00

We took advantage of the plentiful snowfall! Here is Emma getting all suited up... She has really taken to playing in the snow! She was so bundled up that she couldn't really do anything except say, "Noooo....!!!" (her version of 'snow') We only stayed out for a little while that day because it was still very, very cold. She didn't want to come in, but I was freezing, so I figured she had to be cold as well.

Valentine's Day Storm

2007-02-25T12:48:00.000-08:00

On Valentine's Day we had our first real snowstorm of the year. It started early that morning with snow, then it sleeted (is that even a word?) for about 3 hours! I had never seen anything like it. Steve went into work early that morning before the sleet really started, and during the time he was gone we had a 6 inch buildup of ice pellets against the back door! In the afternoon, the sleet changed back to snow with some wind thrown in on the side. The hospital ended up closing Steve's office that afternoon, so he was able to come home and help dig out. Because there was a thick base of ice, the snow was very heavy to shovel. After the work was done, we were able to have a cozy Valentine's evening.

Emma and the Baboos

2007-02-25T12:23:00.000-08:00

Since we are apparently going to have another snowstorm today--indeed, it has already begun from what I can see outside-- what better time to update the neglected blog? Other things have taken a higher priority the past few weeks, but I wanted to catch up with our recent pictures. So...let me explain the first title. The "baboos" is interpreted: "babies". Emma has various baboos in her life. First, here is Baby Leah, her friend that stays with us on Mondays. This was a cute picture of Emma and Leah taken one day when Steve was home for a few hours.

Then there is the Yellow Baby. This one usually resides downstairs in the Toy Box. Emma always inquires about "baboo" before we begin our trip down from the 2nd to the 1st floor of our house. Generally I say something like, "Yellow Baby is already downstairs". This seems to satisfy Emma's concerns, and after we have made our descent, she runs joyfully to the toy box to be reunited with Baboo.Then there is the Pink Baby. She generally fills the role of Bedtime Baboo. She is the one who always goes to bed when Emma does. Emma takes great care to make sure that Pink Baby is properly kissed and tucked in before Emma allows herself to rest. In fact there was one particular naptime last week when Emma took this duty so seriously that she was still comforting Baby an hour after I put her in bed. Perhaps Baby had misbehaved that day, because I heard a loud crash and went upstairs to peek in the door. Baby had been thrown unceremoniously over the side of the crib. I guess Emma taught her a lesson.

Winter days

2007-02-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

Whew, it has been cold this past week! Emma has discovered snow ("Nooo!!!") One of her new favorite pastimes is looking out of our bedroom window with Daddy. Snow was falling when we took this picture.

We haven't had too much snow, but thankfully there was enough to do some sledding. We have some hills in our neighborhood that were just about Emma-size.

I found this adorable dress at Babies R Us on the clearance rack and thought she needed yet another dress for church. This child is keeping me busy--she keeps growing out of all her clothes! She will be 18 months this week, but she is wearing mostly 24 month clothes now...

Playgroup

2007-01-26T04:30:00.000-08:00

I had some friends over yesterday from church so the kids could play and the moms could enjoy some fellowship. Lauren kindly shared her blanket with Emma. As you may remember, Emma usually holds onto someone's (pretty much anyone's) hair while she sucks her thumb, but she actually held onto Lauren's blanket--at least for this picture. Audrey, Braden, Lauren, and Emma took a minute for a group shot together. I think this was the calmest moment of the morning. They sure had fun playing together! Audrey and Emma are only 3 weeks apart, so they are nursery buddies. A few weeks ago, as we were walking into church, Emma spied Audrey from a distance and said hopefully, "Au-ju?" As soon as Audrey turned and saw Emma, she said very loudly and joyfully, "Me-maaa!!" It was so cute. They welcomed each other to church as if they hadn't seen each other in months!
The two little girls suddenly disappeared yesterday while we moms were still sitting at the lunch table. I went looking for them and found them sitting side by side on the third step looking out the front door. Of course, by the time I got the camera the moment had passed. I still managed to get a picture of all the kids on the stairs. :)

Pigtails in the 'hood'

2007-01-24T06:01:00.000-08:00

I am starting to let her hair grow out on the sides, so to keep it from looking scraggly over her hears I put it up in pigtails every day now. I try to get them even, but it doesn't always work out. She is usually turning her head saying, "Emma?" because we always look in the mirror so that she can see herself when I am done. So one bow usually ends up higher than the other... Lest you think that we are teaching our child gang signs (see picture below), let me explain. Emma can now count to 2! Believe it or not, this was her attempt to show two fingers. She is still working on that coordination, so it looks rather gangsta-ish. Wassup.
Again, although this looks like she is showing attitude, she is actually puckering up to give a kiss. :)
We had our first snowfall a few days ago, and so she clomped around in her snow boots for awhile.

Fun times

2007-01-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted any pictures for a little while, so these are just a few to show Emma's recent activities. Since we returned from our Christmas trip to SD and Phx, her personality has really blossomed. Maybe it was all of the family interaction over the holidays or something... Dad Mook and Uncle Josh will be glad to see the budding golfer as pictured above. :) I was out shopping the other day and couldn't resist this little Adidas hat -- her first baseball cap!
This is from yesterday after church. I think she is looking so grown up. Her face has changed even in the last few weeks! It's exciting but kind of sad at the same time... This is my favorite age so far, though. We are having so much fun together!

One evening she wanted to put on my socks. They were more like tights to her. Also, she likes putting things on her hand such as this bath puppet ("Scrubber") that she got for Christmas.
This is her first attempt at dressing herself. I was reading one morning and looked up to see her grinning at me after putting her sweater on upside-down.... She was pretty proud of herself.
Running, running everywhere!
And the stylish diva (with sweater on correctly) and her sunglasses. Also note the one pigtail. I am forever putting her hair in pigtails and then doing it again a few minutes later because she has pulled one or both of them out. Ah me. The challenges of having a girl.... :)

Coronado

2007-01-04T11:59:00.000-08:00

We were able to visit Coronado Island one day and we enjoyed the beautiful weather! Emma wasn't too excited about the sand at first, but eventually we persuaded her to try it out.

Christmas in San Diego

2007-01-02T06:52:00.000-08:00

We had such a great time in San Diego. We were able to spend quite a bit of time with everybody. Above are Joshua, Christianna, Emma, and Baby Rohrer (not yet visible) with Uncle Josh and Aunt Greta. This time next year we will have a 6th Rohrer cousin in our family!!
Uncle Josh helps Emma open a present.
Grandpa Rohrer provides Emma the best seat in the house!
At Grandma Rohrer's suggestion, the cousins and Uncle Josh dressed up as Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds while Steve read the Christmas story. As you can tell by the smile, Emma had fun in San Diego!

Christmas in Phoenix

2007-01-02T06:33:00.000-08:00

After spending a week in San Diego, we drove with my parents back to Phoenix for the next week. We had a wonderful, relaxing Christmas Day with them. Emma is not yet old enough to understand what is going on with presents, so we had a leisurely breakfast and didn't open the gifts until almost noon! I am assuming this will change by next year?...

Messiah concert

2006-12-21T13:12:00.000-08:00

We had the opportunity to attend a Handel's Messiah concert at the San Diego Sympony while we were in San Diego. It was wonderful!! We went with our family--Mom & Dad Rohrer, Mom & Dad Mook, Josh& Greta, Jonathan & Rebecca, and a few other friends (the Harrisons from FCBC). The performance was very well done. It is always a tremendous blessing to hear the Messiah because every song is taken directly from Scripture. I am always challenged and encouraged to hear it sung so beautifully. I was especially struck by the song that says: 'For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given...and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace." What an amazing thing it is that the Creator and Saviour of the world is also our Counsellor! With all of the trials and dillemas of life, it is wonderful to know that our source for counsel and wisdom is the Messiah--Jesus Christ the Lord! Here are three of the Rohrer boys and their wives. We were sad that Mark and Shannon couldn't join us for the concert, as Mark just recently had back surgery. Maybe next year we can all go again... Mom and Dad Rohrer are always so generous in opening their home to us. As those of you know you have met them, they definitely have the gift of hospitality. We are so grateful for their godly example to us and for their consistent testimony over the years. It is always a joy to be with them.
Here we are: Greta, Rebecca and me! It is still amazing to me that we married three brothers! We all started the same year at Bob Jones. In fact, Rebecca and I were roommates and then grew to be the best of friends throughout college. We both knew Greta through choir and other college activities, but we have all grown closer since marrying 'the boys'. I praise the Lord for godly sisters-in-law! Greta, Rebecca, and Shannon are all so special to us. We are blessed by their friendship.

And here are Steve and me--minus Emma. She did not join us for the Messiah experience. I think all of us were probably happier because she got to stay home and go to bed on time. :)

Thumb + hair = Happy Emma

2006-12-20T08:11:00.000-08:00

Emma has an interesting habit. Any time she is sitting still she has to be sucking her left thumb and holding someone's hair with her right hand. It doesn't seem to matter whose hair it is most of the time--Aunt Rebecca, Grandpa Rohrer, Uncle Josh, and Grandma Rohrer have all helped this week along with many others...

San Diego Rohrers

2006-12-16T11:16:00.000-08:00

We flew to San Diego last Wednesday to spend time with the Rohrer Family--San Diego branch. We have already had a wonderful time with everyone. Here is Emma, Steve, and Dad Rohrer.

Mom has been spending lots of time with Emma. Emma sure loves her Grandma!

Babysitting Mondays

2006-12-05T06:07:00.000-08:00

Every Monday I have the privilege to watch the daughter of a friend. Actually, the friend also happens to be Emma's pediatrician who has had to go back to work. I am so glad to be able to help her out, and Emma loves having Leah come to play each week!! Here are a few pictures from yesterday. Aren't they sweet? Leah is one week older than Little Carolyn Irving, so they are reaching milestones at about the same time.
You will notice that Emma took this opportunity while I was looking at the camera to snatch the Forbidden Phone and push a few buttons. She seems to have a fascination for all things electronic. I don't know if this is just a baby thing or if she is taking after her Uncle Jonathan. I guess time will tell... If any of you ever get strange telephone calls, it may be Emma. Just to give you all a "heads up".

Fun with reading

2006-12-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks, Emma's two favorite pastimes have been sitting and reading. She loves sitting on anything, chairs, stairs, blankets piled up, anything that is at least a few inches off the floor. Reading consists of anything that has words and/or pictures--books, catalogues, magazines, etc. Just this week she has begun reading aloud quite often: "Weeaweeaweeaweeaaa". Sometimes she combines the sitting and reading skills as seen in the pictures below. It takes a little effort to get settled....
And get comfortable in the chair....
...But eventually she is ready to read.

Thanksgiving continued

2006-12-04T08:04:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving Day at Sam and Ruthann's house. There were about 18 of us. The kids spent a lot of time playing down in the basement. Here are Abby, Maddy, Stephen and Josiah. And of course, the dog, Biscuit.
Emma sure loved her cousins!
Jim was a huge help while they were here. On several occasions he watched all three girls so that Lauri and I could go shopping. Shopping is definitely more relaxing and enjoyable without having a 1-year old by your side.
Every night, Abby and Madison would read with Emma before bed. It was so cute to watch the three of them interact. Kids have a special bond even if there is a big age difference between them. I am so glad that the girls were able to spend time together for a few days.

Thanksgiving

2006-12-04T07:56:00.000-08:00

Steve's sister, Lauri, and her family were with us for Thanksgiving. We had such a wonderful time with them! Emma especially enjoyed her time with Abby and Madison. The first morning when Emma got up she was so excited to see Maddy!
The girls spent a lot of time playing outside. Emma loved to watch her cousins and tried to follow them around.
Abby and Maddy helped feed Emma while they were here. It was great!

Emma's explorations

2006-11-14T08:01:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from the last few days. Emma has discovered 'aboo' s(translation: balloon)s. It is amazing to see how something so basic could become such an intriguing toy. We had some balloons that we brought home from Sam's election night party, and most of them lost their helium by the next morning. Not to worry--kicking balloons can be just as much fun as letting them fly back up to the ceiling! The picture below was taken while playing with a balloon.
Also, she can now sit up by herself to play the piano--one of the most loved activities of the living room.
She is quite the concert pianist already--note the emotion as she thoughtfully interprets this particular piece of music.

Election Day

2006-11-08T08:58:00.000-08:00

Although it was a rough election for most Republicans, Sam Rohrer won his State legislature race by a comfortable margin. I got our smallest campaigner dressed in her "Vote for my Uncle Sam" sweatshirt and went to see Daddy at the hospital before heading out to the polls.Shyla and I were at the polling place in my neighborhood from 12 - 6 yesterday afternoon handing out info for Sam. The kids did remarkably well--Jackson slept for 3 hours in his seat!! Emma kept me busy chasing after her, but she had fun walking around, stomping her feet, picking up rocks, eating mulch and sticks when I was occupied talking to voters, etc. Of course not 10 minutes after we arrived she took a tumble and got her white sweatshirt dirty. Serves me right for putting her in white. By the end of the day her hands and face were filthy from crawling around in the dirt and on the asphalt parking lot. But apparently she didn't dissuade anbody from voting for Sam. :) I was very thankful that Shyla and I were out there together though. I don't think I would have made it by myself...

Election 2006

2006-11-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

The 2006 elections are tomorrow, and we are making preparations to vote. Steve's cousin, Sam Rohrer, is a Pennsylvania State legislator running for re-election in our district. He is a wonderful, godly leader, and he has worked very hard on this campaign. His daughter-in-law, Shyla, and I are going to help hand out literature at the polling place in my neighborhood. So today we made special sweatshirts for our babies. They were Shyla's idea, and they turned out very well. Jackson's says: "Vote for my Grandpa" and Emma's says: "Vote for my Uncle Sam". I will, of course, post more pictures of tomorrow. :)

Piglet

2006-11-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

Introducing....Piglet! I didn't actually buy a costume this year, but I had this little outfit that I thought was cute, so Emma was Piglet. It even says so across the back of her pants (see next picture down).We went over to the hospital to see Daddy and his co-workers. The residency coordinator, Nancy, has been a great help to us since we came to Pennsylvania. She loves to see Emma and has also become a frequent and much-appreciated babysitter! Here they are looking at some items in her office window.Apparently, Emma likes chapstick as demonstrated below.We love our little Piglet! However, she is not as excited about getting her picture taken these days...

Grand times with Grandpa

2006-11-02T07:41:00.000-08:00

My Dad came for a visit last week. He had a conference that he was attending in Lebanon, PA which is only about 40 minutes away, so he was able to stay with us. Emma always enjoys her time with Grandpa!
On the Thursday night, Dr. Edward Panosian spoke at the conference. He was my History teacher at BJU (as he taught for over 50 years, he was also my parents' teacher) and we are privileged to know him personally. He has preached in my Dad's church on several occasions over the years. Emma and I went to hear him although Steve had to work. It is wonderful to see such a faithful man of God still serving the Lord.

Various visitors

2006-11-02T05:07:00.000-08:00

After we came home from our trip, Mom and Dad Rohrer stayed with us for a few more days. Alas, I am afraid that I lost any pictures that we took during that time due to a computer crash that happened just after they left. But above is one with Grandpa and Emma. :)

The weekend after they were here, Steve's brother Jonathan came for a visit. It was his first time to Pennsylvania. We were so glad he could come, even though the time went quickly. As you can see, Emma was glad to see her uncle again--anyone that plays with her baby is her new best friend. :)

Cape Cod continued

2006-11-01T08:50:00.000-08:00

This is a typical style of house on Cape Cod. Most of them have this siding that looks like shingles. It is very pretty. Grandpa and Grandma Rohrer had fun spending time with Emma! One of Emma's favorite things to do is get behind me when I am sitting down and then peek around my shoulder to see if I notice her. If I say, "Where's Emma?" and avoid making eye contact with her she will scoot around in front of me and position herself to make me look at her. If I look up in the air or turn my head away, she will put her hand on my chin and force me to look at her. It's so cute!
We had a wonderful lunch that day as we travelled along Cape Cod. It was just fun to spend time together. We always laugh a lot when we get together with our parents, and they are such an encouragement to us spiritually as well.

Cape Cod capers

2006-10-31T13:05:00.000-08:00

We left the Boston area on Friday morning and drove out on Cape Cod. It was a little chilly, but still the weather was beautiful! Above is a cute picture of Emma and Grandma Mook.
We were able to see the sunset over the ocean on Friday night. Then, Steve and I got up early on Saturday to watch the sunrise. It was so peaceful and still as you can see in the pictures below.

Plimoth Plantation

2006-10-31T08:55:00.000-08:00

A few miles away from Plymouth Rock there is a replica of the first settlement at Plymouth. It is called Plimouth Plantation and it is fascinating because all of the people who work there are the playing the actual characters that lived there. They speak as if it is still 1627, and they all work in the town or out in the fields doing the activities that would have been done in 1627.
This is the view from the top of the hill looking down over the plantation.
This man is playing William Bradford, the governor and historian of Plymouth. Bradford was a very godly man. It was interesting to talk with him and learn about the challenges facing the people there.
Here is Mr. Bradford teaching one of the younger boys in the town how to use a grindstone.

Plymouth Rock

2006-10-31T08:12:00.000-08:00

Well, we have been back from our trip for several weeks now, but I am still getting all of the pictures up (we had a little computer glitch for the last week or so). This is Plymouth Rock--reportedly where the Pilgrims first landed in Massachusetts in 1620, as the sign says below.

In the harbor there is a replica of the Mayflower. We were able to tour it, and it was remarkable how small and cramped the ship really must have been. It was definitely not a luxurious experience for those passengers.
On the hill overlooking the harbor there is a memorial to those who died that first winter. Of the approximately 100 people that came, almost half of them died, and their names are inscribed in this monument. It was clear from reading the inscriptions, that they viewed their sacrifices as an opportunity to establish a better country for God's glory.

Boston--Freedom Trail

2006-10-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

We spent some time walking the "Freedom Trail" in Boston. This is really just a trail linking important historical sites in the city. We started at Faneuil Hall which is where quite a few of the American meetings took place prior to the War for Independence.
We saw Paul Revere's grave and I thought this was an interesting plaque outside of the graveyard.
We met up with Mom and Dad Rohrer that afternoon and they continued with us for the rest of our time in New England. What a wonderful opportunity to spend time with both of our sets of parents! We are so thankful that we all get along and enjoy each others' company. We continued on the Freedom Trail to the Old North Church where Paul Revere instructed the Patriots to display lanterns in the church steeple ("one if by land, two if by sea") indicating how the British attack would begin on April 19, 1775.
Here is the tower of the church. The inside was very interesting. Apparently, quite a few famous people have worshipped there over the years. If fact, Charles Wesley preached there on at least one occasion.

Boston--USS Constitution & harbor ferry

2006-10-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

We visited the USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides") which is the oldest active ship in the Navy Fleet. Obviously, this ship has not been in any battles recently, yet it was still very interesting to tour the 3 decks.

After visiting the ship, we took a ferry across Boston Harbor to continue our tour of the city. Here is a view of the skyline.
It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed being out on the water--even if it was only for a few minutes.
Emma seemed to enjoy her first boat ride! She looks a little skeptical in this picture, but I think she was just taking everything in.

More fall foliage

2006-10-11T19:29:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures that we took of the fall colors in the Massachusetts area.

Lexington and Concord

2006-10-11T19:07:00.000-07:00

We spent last night with some friends, Gabe and Beth Marinelli. Steve has known them since college, and they graciously invited us to stay with them when we were in the Boston area. They have a lovely home and we thoroughly enjoyed our fellowship with them! We had a short drive to Lexington where the British first attacked the Minute Men in the Revolutionary War.
The man who commanded the Minute Men at Lexington was Captain Parker. Quite a few of his men, badly outnumbered by the British soldiers, were killed or wounded on the Lexington Green. The British continued marching on down the road to Concord, where other Minute Men met them and turned them back. Later the same day, Captain Parker and his men, some wounded from the earlier attack, engaged the "Redcoats" as they retreated in confusion toward Boston. A certain section of the Battle Road is known as "Parker's Revenge". We walked a short distance on the Battle Road. You may notice the Redcoat still marching down the road in this picture. Here is the monument at the Concord Bridge where the Minute Men engaged the British soldiers on April 19, 1775. The poem on the monument was written by Ralph Waldo Emerson in honor of the men who fought so bravely that day.

Shoreline adventures

2006-10-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday while we were still in Brunswick, Dad took a tour of Joshua Chamberlain's house directly across from Bowdoin College (where he was a professor). He learned a lot of interesting things that he shared with the rest of us who were unable to accompany him on the tour. Emma was taking a much needed nap, Steve was staying with her, and Mom and I were in a toy shop finding some new things to keep Emma occupied.

After we left Brunswick, we began driving down the Maine coastline. Our first stop was the ocean--Emma's first view of it is pictured above. I think I heard her say "Whoa!" This is her newest word which she has learned from Grandpa Mook. She says it often and with many various inflections that are very cute. The only time it is not cute is when she says "Whoa" while looking at people. Such as yesterday morning when we were at breakfast and a rather large lady sat behind her. Emma turned around and said "Whoa!" I don't think she meant it. And thankfully, I don't think the lady heard her.
Emma really enjoyed playing in the sand. She liked the ocean as well until Daddy put her feet in the water. It quickly lost favor with her after that.
But on the whole we had a nice time at the beach. :)
We continued driving down the coast and stopped in Kennebunkport, Maine. It is known as being the vacation home of the Bushes (George and Barbara). We didn't see them or their house, but we did stop and have some clam chowder at a restaraunt that they have apparently visited. It was a neat little town.

From New York to Maine!

2006-10-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

This morning we left Plattsburgh, NY (where we stayed last night) and took a car ferry across Lake Champlain. It was a beautiful, clear morning. The ferry ride only lasted about 12 minutes, but we got out of the car for a little bit. Vermont is on the east side of Lake Champlain.

We stopped briefly at the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. We thought Emma might enjoy this place. She had fun playing with some little plastic balls in the gift shop.
We had a gorgeous drive through the Green Mountains of Vermont. When we stopped to take this picture a lady was selling Vermont maple syrup at a roadside stand. We didn't get any as things are already rather crowded in the car.

We stopped to see this famous hotel/resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. It was a lovely place. Afterward, we continued on all the way to Brunswick, Maine where we spent the night. This is the town where Joshua Chamberlain lived. He was a famous general in the Civil War and fought in the Battle of Gettysburg. We ate in a restaurant called "Joshua's", named after him.

Fall foliage

2006-10-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

The leaves have been absolutely stunning. We could not ask for better weather! Each day has been in the 70's and crystal clear.

Saratoga Battle Field

2006-10-08T19:14:00.000-07:00

Today since we couldn't attend church, we had a short worship time in our hotel room before travelling on. Dad read a passage from Micah and made several very encouraging points. Note: it is always wonderful to have a pastor along when you will be away from church on Sunday. :) Feeling rested and refreshed, we drove a short distance to the Saratoga Battlefield. For those of you who don't know your Revolutionary War history very well, I will share what I learned today. The Saratoga conflict was where Benedict Arnold, a very courageous general for the American colonies, distinguished himself in battle against the British. This battle took place in 1777 and was the first time that the British army was forced to surrender to the Americans. As such, it was a major turning point in the War for Independence. Unfortunately, Benedict Arnold broke his leg in this battle. While recovering in Philadelphia, he met a young lady whose father was a loyalist to the British (a Tory) and he ended up marrying her. Eventually, Arnold became notorious for betraying the Americans to the British.

Interestingly, the battle took place on this very weekend in 1777. There were some people who were sort of re-enactors who were camped at the battlefield. You can see their tents in this picture.

Emma is really enjoying time with Grandma and Grandpa Mook!!

She is doing very well even though we are off her normal nap schedule. Yesterday afternoon she actually took a whole nap in the car while we drove! She is staying very cheerful through all of our travels.

New England!!

2006-10-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

My parents arrived last night. We had originally planned to leave immediately and go up to Scranton, PA but that didn't work out. Their flight was delayed a few hours, so it would have been way too late to drive 2 more hours to Scranton. So we left this morning and ended up in Cooperstown, NY by noon. The drive up through PA and NY was absolutely beautiful! It was a crystal clear day and the leaves are starting to turn. We took quite a few pictures from the car but they don't do justice to the scenery.

The main reason we stopped in Cooperstown was to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. Well, actually "we" did not all visit the BHOF. Dad and Steve went. Mom, Emma and I toured the streets of Cooperstown, being sure to take in a local bakery for afternoon coffee and cookies. Emma is not really into baseball yet....

Picture of Babe Ruth
Cooperstown is a quaint little town located on a beautiful lake. Here we are with the lake behind us.

A better view of the lake.

Emma inspects some dirt...

2006-10-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hmmm.... I wonder what I could do with this stuff...

Isn't it great that Mommy dressed me in a white shirt today?

This sure is fun! Raise the roof!

This picture speaks for itself... :)

Young Adult Fellowship

2006-10-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of our friends from church. About a month ago, our pastor asked Steve and me to take over leading the Young Adult Fellowship at our church (roughly 18 to 35 yrs old. Or whenever you don't feel like a 'young adult' anymore). Last night was our kickoff picnic and it seemed to go very well. We are excited for the opportunity to minister in this way. We have already been able to build some great friendships and we look forward to many wonderful Bible studies and activities in the coming year.

More Hawk Mountain

2006-09-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

Here is another picture with Kris and Liam. The kids seemed to enjoy being outside even though they were bundled up.

This gives some of the counts of the bird sightings this season. You will note one day they sighted over 7,500 hawks! I still don't understand how they can be sure they're not double counting some birds. They all seem to like kind of alike to me...

Hawk Mountain

2006-09-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

Today we went to a place called Hawk Mountain with our friends, Jon, Kris, and Liam Barry. We met the Barry's through our church and got to know them over the last year or so. Liam is just a few months younger than Emma. They are moving out of the area, so we thought we would get together and do a short hike at this place called Hawk Mountain. It is thus called because it is the stopping point of many kinds of birds--particularly hawks--on their migration south for the winter. Although this is the migratory season, alas, we did not see a single bird, except for the stuffed ones in the Visitors' Center. When the children started to get fussy, we decided to head over to Cabela's and look at more stuffed animals.

This is just a cute picture of Emma working on stacking things. Stacking is her new favorite pastime.

One year ago...

2006-09-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that Emma looked like this one year ago! She has changed so much and it has been so fun to see her little personality develop.

Friday, September 29

2006-09-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess it is high time that we enter the world of the bloggers. After having quite a few friends that have blogs, I see the convenience of having one, especially for our family members that are far away.