Something to think on

...children expose our idols. Every time we think of a child as "interrupting" or "interfering with" our lives, it's because we have erected an idol in the place where love alone ought to reign. Ironically, our idol may be some task we think we are performing for the sake of our children, only to find that we have exchanged the God of living relationships for an isolating god of our own devising.

~Mike Mason in The Mystery of Children

Airborne and Special Operations Museum

We have been meaning to go here ever since we moved to NC. And we finally made our way there yesterday with a good friend from the church. Fayetteville is such an interesting town, mostly because of the huge presence of the Army. Sean and I both agree that we have been able to renew our faith in the common "hero" after being around these men and women who serve our country in highly dangerous jobs and locations around the world. While all jobs in the military are commendable, we've been fascinated by the "superheros" of the Special Ops - Paratroopers, Green Berets, Jumpmasters - all do things that the common American never would imagine doing.

This museum is a good view into that world. We rode a simulator that made you feel as if you were riding on a motorcycle through a war infested land, hanging out of a low-flying helicopter through the remnants of bombed buildings, and the pièce de résistance - jumping out of an airplane HALO style - all while your seat was being jerked around in concert to the images being shown, I believe at as much as an 18 degree tilt. SO cool! (Silas didn't participate in this - our friend, who has done this simulator countless times, offered to stroll him around while Sean and I rode it). We also watched a film (funded by Ross Perot, no less) about the Special Ops that went into great detail about all of the jobs and responsibilities they hold. And finally, the museum itself, had SO much information and exhibits that it was almost to much to take in one visit. If ever you are in or around Fayetteville, we highly recommend this nationally attended museum.

Catch up

Seems like we're always playing catch up here. Life is certainly busier this year than those in the past, but it's been a blast.

We spent Thanksgiving in Georgia with my (Shannon's) family this year. It was a great trip, and we're looking forward to going back after Christmas for some New Year's shopping. With my eldest sister expecting her little girl, I was able to pitch in and help put up their Christmas tree this year. There's something fun about helping with someone else's tree - different ornaments make it interesting, I guess.

One of the highlights - my niece Allie and I were able to celebrate the surprisingly close win of Alabama over Auburn on Saturday as well. Condolences to Daddy, of course. (Maybe next year...) And I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge their recent SEC championship title. Roll Tide! (sorry, Brian - maybe next year...)

We also found out where we're spending most of next year - Richmond, VA, city of Sean's birth, so now we will have had projects in both of our birth cities (including Silas!). We'll be pulling out of here in most likely 2 weeks, so the Christmas holidays will be busy but fun. More updates to come -

the light blue sea

A member of the church here gave us his tickets to the basketball game between UNC and Valparaiso.  I have been to the Dean Smith Center to watch the heels play, but this was Shannon's and Silas' first trip.  Modeling our very best Tar Heel attire, we joined the sea of light blue fabric and supporters.  Silas was in tar heel heaven--actually, heaven--as his little, awe-inspired mind was readily taking in all of the noise, action, flashing lights, and big screens.  He loved it.  Really.  And this makes dad happy; because dad likes Tar Heel land too.

Of course, several other fans thought Silas was a rock star.  They liked the fact, as one guy put it, "that we were starting him out right"--meaning, it is good we were brainwashing him to think that UNC basketball was somehow more sacred than the rest of the programs in existence.  Yep.  I had a good laugh, when, as everyone was exiting and trying to get to their cars after the game, Silas was one of the few who was happy.  Sure, UNC won, which made the faithful cheerful, but everyone was trying to get out of the light blue sea--the same one we all excitedly plunged into earlier--as quickly as possible. So while the rest of us were focused on our exit strategy, little rock star was still taking it all in.  Still loving it.  Still craving more action, more people. (His nap around halftime probably helped.)

It was a good time.  Maybe the chance of a lifetime.  I do hope I get to sit in the Dean Dome again with Shannon and Silas, but if the journey doesn't afford us the opportunity, I will still remember this night that we swam in the light blue sea.

Fall in our driveway

A carpet of leaves greeted us after the rains went away...

Soap Nuts

I've been wanting to try this product out, and I just found a free sample for it. Fun for my fellow granola girls. Read about Soap Nuts here. Get your free sample and try it out with me here.

That Girl

We all can't wait to welcome in the newest girl to the family. Track my sister's pregnancy with us through her new blog: That Girl.

Recipe - Chicken Divan

I got this from Laura, a good friend and former roommate in Virginia Beach. She'd make it often for us, and I just loved it. I made it recently for Sean, and now he's a fan too. I'm a sucker for a good casserole.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 package of frozen broccoli or a few (I used 4) stalks of fresh
• 2 - 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cups of rice (I prefer jasmine for this)
• 1/2 cup mayo (not miracle whip)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• Shredded cheddar cheese for topping

 Preparing casserole:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Cook rice and spread on bottom of lightly greased casserole dish.
• Cook chicken (boiled for 20 minutes), cut up in bite-size pieces or shred and arrange on top of rice
• Cook broccoli al dente and arrange on top of chicken

 

While those are cooking, you can prepare The Sauce:

• Mix mayo, soup, lemon juice, and curry powder in bowl
  
• Pour sauce mixture over the rice, chicken and broccoli in casserole dish
• Sprinkle with cheddar cheese
• Bake for 30 min: 10 minutes with foil on, and then 20 minutes with foil off

Traveling

We've been doing a lot of traveling these past few weeks. Our Asheville trip for our 5th anniversary was so lovely, we can't wait to go back. And our boy was such a trooper. He loved our honeymoon spot! We then journeyed to where Sean's parents live for a quick overnight trip and a visit to the dentist. And then a couple weeks ago we made a trip down to one of our former projects to attend a ground-breaking ceremony. It was so nice seeing our new "old" friends and letting them get to know the boy.

Sean's mom was in town visiting this past week. After her stay, we drove her back up to their home and stayed a couple nights there. Sean also made a business presentation while we were in Virginia. We are now back in North Carolina. And while the travels and visits of late have been nice, we are looking forward to the comfort of schedule, routine, and homemade leftovers again.

Potatoes

Did you know that if you leave potatoes sitting out for too long that they not only grow those antennae-ish looking things, but they also will putrify, liquify, and thus stink up your whole house worse than almost anything you've smelled? Well, they do, so watch your potatoes, people. It's really gross.

Back to it

Our trip to Asheville was so good. We stayed in the same cottage we did 5 years before, except this time we got to include our little monkey with us. He adapted so well to life away from home. We took his trusty travel crib, and he got into a schedule in no time flat. How thankful we were for that! We went on a couple hikes, strolled around downtown Asheville a few times, and made our way to the shops at Biltmore. And in typical fashion, we even found the local Target for those items we undoubtedly forget each time we travel. If you're ever in Asheville and want to stay at a charming B&B, we highly recommend Hill House. Bill & Terri will treat you well and feed you even better.

Oh, beautiful mountains, how we miss you...

Honeymoon, continued

Sean, Silas, and I are leaving tomorrow to go revisit our honeymoon spot in celebration of our 5th wedding anniversary, which is Friday. Asheville, NC, was the perfect spot for our honeymoon, and we're looking forward to bringing the newest member of our family there to show him around what became hallowed ground for us. This marriage that God created has been more beautiful than I could've imagined. I'm looking forward to many more years...

20 years later

We got to attend my sister's 20th wedding anniversary vow renewal ceremony in GA last weekend. A beautiful day at the falls made a perfect backdrop for the lovely words that were exchanged. Congratulations and much love to you both, Christine and Brian.

Food for all

Our oven was broken for the better part of the month. When we finally got it fixed this week, I dove right into the craving I had been keeping at bay - cookies! While I was making the batter for that, I also made something for our boy - homemade organic carrot baby food. He loves it!

Becoming local

There is always a point in every project where I finally feel like I am no longer a tourist or visitor, but am actually a local - I belong. I think we've hit our stride this week in becoming so familiar with the area that we consider ourselves a part of this society. My benchmark is usually the frequency of which I am using my GPS. With my tremendous lack of a sense of direction, I use it for everything but finding the kitchen sink in those early weeks of a move. But I've found myself this week having to use it less, picking up on where I need to go through landmarks and habit. So this is good - we're settling in, growing accustomed, and calling yet another new city home.

Yuck

I had to write a new blog just to get that snake off the top of the website. Yeesh. Creepy.

Since I'm here, I can report that we've had an afternoon/early evening rain shower for days upon days. Our evening walks have been abruptly eliminated during this incessant downpour, so we're trying to turn around our schedules somewhat and take more walks in the morning. We'll see if our little dictator will let us do that... :)

Snake

On one of our treks through our trail, we were going at a nice little clip, chatting with each other, when I noticed a couple of bikes headed our way. Shortly before they got to us, one of the bicyclists let out a, "Whow!", and swerved abruptly. All 4 of us looked to see what he almost hit, and there coiled up on the path was a Copperhead. Yikes. Sean and I headed on the opposite side of the path very carefully and got out of there, while we left the two guys on bicycles staring at the snake. I think they might have eventually thrown it out into the woods again, as it wasn't there on the way back. Needless to say, we keep an open eye out now as we're traversing our woods.

Yard Sale

Today, on our way to the walking trail, we drove past a yard sale. Spontaneously, we turned around and went to our first yard sale in years. As we walked in the yard, several people were already loading stuff on trucks and in cars. There were still some goodies left, and so for about fifteen minutes we navigated through old books, clothes, outdoor items, and random gadgets.

We spent a grand total of $4.50 on 5 literary classics and a t-shirt for each of us.

Shannon hearts...

Some of my recent favorite food items -

Pepperidge Farm Wheat Crisps
Fiber One Oats & Chocolate bars
Bertolli Organic Olive Oil, Basil, & Garlic spaghetti sauce
Arizona decaf-diet green tea
Organic Fuji apples

Rested

When we were in our last days in Memphis, Silas had gotten to where he was sleeping about 7 - 8 hours a night. Not bad for a 2 month old. However, with all of the traveling we did the past couple of months back and forth from Virginia to Georgia, he got a wee bit off schedule. Since we've been here in Fayetteville for 2 weeks, his sleeping at night has been anything but great.

However, last night was our breakthrough. He actually slept 7.5 hrs straight, and then a couple more after his early morning feeding. Sean and I were overjoyed to actually have gotten a decent night's sleep, yet at the same time, we both awoke in the middle of the night worrying that he was ok. I guess now we have to get used to him sleeping well, as we had already unknowingly adjusted to his crazy schedule. But from what I hear about babies, change is the only constant in their lives, so here's to more of the unknown in the days to come...

The 4th and the 5th

We spent the 4th with my (Sean's) parents. They visited us here in Fayetteville to see our place, the area, and of course, their cute little grandson. After some shopping earlier in the day, we came back here and Shannon grilled hamburgers. It was our first time experimenting with the grill-top stove, and it turned out to be very convenient and a great means to an excellent hamburger. My parents headed out around 8, and then we began our nighttime ritual of getting Silas ready for his sometimes steady nights of sleep, and what is referred to on other occasions (such as last night) as multiple-wakings nights.

Today marked another significant day on the calendar. Today was Silas' first day in church. The cute little rascal did well, only a couple times feeling the need to let everyone else around know his singing lungs worked just as well as theirs. I was proud of our little guy and proud to be singing "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" with him by my side leaning on ours.


We're back home now, getting ready to view the Wimbledon men's final that we DVR-ed earlier, and planning to break open the watermelon we got yesterday.

Cape Fear River Trail

Here we are walking along a really nice paved trail we discovered near us. It's perfect for strollers!

Connected again

Oh my, it feels so good to be online again. And not homeless. Not necessarily in that order.

We moved to Fayetteville, NC, last Saturday, but the cable/internet guy just came today, so we've been totally clueless as to what has been going on in the world. Apparantly, death and divorce has taken over the news in our absence. Sad.

In a nutshell, our life these past few months have been a blessing. We were able to spend a lot of time with our families and see some friends. Silas made the rounds and was a big hit. We'll be updating this much more often and posting pics as we get to know this area. We've already discovered a great little downtown area with some quaint shops and restaurants (reminiscent of our time spent in Charlottesville, VA). And Fayetteville is a plethora of my kind of shopping (TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Target, etc...) We also have a great place to live with the most room we've ever had. Plenty of room for air mattresses for those craving a visit to this area.

So, please come again soon. We'll be posting here. Promise!

and we will be living in...

We found out tonight that my next project will be in Fayetteville, North Carolina. That's right, we are headed back to our favorite state and will be living in a new and very beautiful townhome. We can't wait to get there and set up shop and home again. So tonight, and through out the next few days, we will be singing James Taylor's "Carolina in My Mind."

Parents anniversary

Last year we went to Louie's on the Lake, so this year on their 41st, we wanted to try another good restaurant that we hadn't been to before. The Dillard House is a big tourist destination for folks all over the country coming through north Georgia. They serve the food "family style": big bowls of country-cooked food were brought to our table, and then constantly replenished until we were all STUFFED. It was SO good. And it was so nice to be able to celebrate with Daddy and Mother on another wonderful year together. I'm so thankful for their heritage of love.

travelers traveling

I wanted to reassure everyone that we haven't fallen off the face of the earth, no matter how lax our blogging skills have gotten as of late. We concluded our time with Sean's family in Virginia yesterday and headed back to Georgia to be with mine for a while. While we've been enjoying our extended vacation from work (and our families have really loved being able to spend some quality time with Silas), it looks like we may know soon where our next home will be. Sean went on a presentation to a church last week, so we should literally be hearing something any day.

Happy Mother's Day

My son has already given me my first Mother's Day card today (with his Daddy's help), but we wanted to take this opportunity to thank the Mothers that have been such a source of love, wisdom, and security to us.



To my (Shannon's) Mother, I have learned so much from you just by watching your selflessness to your family. I pray that Silas can be as fortunate as your daughters are in being reared by such a Godly, serene, wise, lovely Mother as you are.

To Gram, my second Mother, your influence on my life is far-reaching. I consider myself truly blessed to have such wonderful memories of spending time with you and Papa. I couldn't have had a more blessed childhood, and you two are a big part of that.

To my (Sean's) Mom, you are a treasure in my life, and without you in the special place you are I would not know as much goodness as I do. I love you always and am so honored to put my son in your loving arms.

To Nana, the Queen Mitchell, I am so thankful for the time you have spent caring for me. Thanks for the candy, fun times in Florida, for letting me drive the golf cart when I was only 12, and for being present on every special day of my life.

We both love you all! Happy Mother's Day!

deep thoughts

I was sitting on the couch earlier, gazing out at the morning light. Sean was holding Silas across the room. My intuitive husband asked me, "Shannon, what are you thinking about? You look deep in thought." I looked at him and realized what it was I had been pondering.

"Laundry", I answered.

I'm trying to figure out now when it was that my quiet moments in thought turned from pondering the philosophies of life to...laundry.

-sigh-

hot

It's a wonderful 90 + degrees in Virginia today, and I'm LOVING it! I'm so over the chilly temps and am welcoming the arrival of shorts, short-sleeved shirts, and flip flops. Here's to summer!

windy

We are still in-between projects and waiting to hear where our next move will take us. Also, still thankful. This time that we have been on sabbatical has been extremely rewarding, in that I have been able to spend all day--four months to be exact--with my wife and baby boy. On top of that, I have used my bountiful free time to make revisions to my book and do some great networking with friends and previous mentors I have not connected with in a while. Especially nice has been the oppotunity to spend wonderful time with our first class families. (Oh, that's right, we both were able to catch up with the dentist yesterday too -)

Shannon and I are certain we are right where we need to be, and that my off-time is for more reasons than our constructive intellects can give shape. All I can say is, we are sensing there is some new wind under our sails. Hopefully, our sails are ready for it and prepared to absorb the momentum it is trying to give.

Happy Easter, belated

Since our move out of Memphis, we made a trek down to Georgia to visit with my family here. It's been wonderful having Silas meet the Howard side of the family, and he's been lapping up all the attention and snuggling he's been getting. We were also able to visit with my uncle, aunt, cousin, and second cousin last week as well, so it's been a great family reunion these last couple of weeks.

My sister and her family and we went up to campus and the falls to take some Easter pictures. It was a typically gorgeous Easter Sunday in the mountains of northeast Georgia.

story from the road

If interested in hearing about Sean's recent road trip to VA, visit his thoughts at http://seankmitchell.wordpress.com/

Goodbye Memphis

We're packing up this weekend from our 7 month adventure in Memphis. We've got to admit, moving is just a BIT more complicated with a newborn, but we're figuring it out. We should find out soon where we're headed next...

second trip to the zoo

We made it back to the local zoo. Shannon's sister and family are in town this weekend and had said that a visit to the zoo was at the top of their wish list. So yesterday, we went back to the zoo, amidst abundant sunshine and the perfect temperature. We had a blast. We re-visited some of our favorite animals and I got to visit the reptile center, which was closed on our previous trip. After our fun experience with the animal world, we came back to our spot and walked out to the Mississippi River for pictures, and then had dinner at our favorite local pizza place. Silas was a big hit with his aunt, uncle, and cousins. He handled all the attention gracefully.

2 more weeks

We can't believe that our time in Memphis is almost over. It just seems like yesterday that we were pulling in to our home here and were amazed at how lovely our surroundings were. We have loved living next to the Mississippi River and taking many walks, exploring the city and the history it holds, and just becoming a "Memphian" . I know Memphis will always hold a special place in our hearts because of how our lives changed while we were here. Not only did my body grow enormously and then shrink back while here, but we welcomed the most beautiful, precious little boy to share our lives with us. He's a Memphis baby and that means this city will always be special.

last minute finds and some heaven on earth

For the last two days, we have been exposing Silas to the life of a shopaholic. He has been to two local outdoor malls, shopping that is so functional to two parents pushing a stroller. These two spots were off our radar until a few nights ago, when Shannon spontaneously discovered them online. They abound with some of our favorite stores and we are excited to have found them, even if their discovery is within a few weeks of our exit of Memphis. We found great deals on some cute gear for Silas, and daddy bought him a baseball cap that he will be sporting this spring and summer. Mommy bought him a new stuffed bear, which, since his colors match the trademark colors of Virginia Tech, we have nicknamed "hokie".

Too bad Silas can't enjoy something else we invested in yesterday: the ever-appetizing and magical Krispy Kreme Donuts. We pulled through the drive-through, ordered two dozen just for ourselves, and each of us immediately downed one glazed. The magic continues. Eating those donuts can be compared to watching the sun rise over the Atlantic. Shannon's favorite Krispy Kreme experience comes when she gets to eat one hot off the conveyer belt. Mine came this morning, when I enjoyed a cruller and chocolate iced in between sips of coffee and paragraphs of a good read. I told Shannon, I am experiencing something that can not be of this world. Right now, I think part of me is in Heaven!

yesterday and today

Yesterday was quite the day. We had a quick trip planned to another part of town, and within minutes of being on the road our plans were shattered. One of the ramps adjoining major interstates here in Memphis was closed and traffic was being re-routed. I have never seen so many police cars, ambulances, and firetrucks at one scene. All in all, a drive that normally takes 20 minutes, took over an hour. This morning, I got online and found out that the mess was caused when a tractor trailer carrying 6,000 pounds of fuel overturned. The clean-up took 15 hours, and sadly, the driver of the truck was killed.

Today is a little more quiet. We are planning an in-house family photo shoot for today, and with the temperature supposedly topping off around 70, we will probably also take a walk by the river. And to think that only 4 days ago there was 4 inches of snow on the ground. Welcome, springtime!

Memphis snow

Happy 3 Weeks to Silas!

Silas is 3 weeks old today. That's very hard for us to believe. It seems like only a few minutes ago that we were holding him for the first time. On his week 3 celebration, there are many things about Silas we are thankful for. Here are a few:

1. He is cute, and he doesn't mind us kissing his sweet face.
2. He is a snuggler and enjoys being close to Mommy and Daddy.
3. He loves his car seat and loves to ride in the car. Mommy and Daddy are breathing a sigh of relief, as they both love to travel and are planning a road trip very soon.
4. He doesn't mind listening to jazz.
5. He is becoming a good sleeper and is starting to learn the difference between day & night.

house guests

My parents are here from VA--of course--to see the new addition. They will be here until Tuesday, and it has been good to watch them make so much over our boy. Silas likes to be held, and both of my parents have taken him up on his wishes to cuddle time and time again. I will miss having them around, and I am sure Silas will too. I think they have said he is "so cute and sweet" over a 100 times. My dad reports that he just wrote to a friend and commented that he is the grandfather to the cutest, smartest, and most likely to succeed grandson on the planet! Silas can't wait to meet his other set of grandparents now...

After a quick Target trip this afternoon, we stopped at the world famous Gus' Fried Chicken for take out. We are about to eat it, and if it tastes anything like it smells, we are going to have one unforgettable southern meal.

the arrival

Our baby boy arrived last evening. Mom, Silas, and dad are all doing well. Sean is keeping up a hospital journal at http://seankmitchell.wordpress.com/.

waiting

As President Obama recently chose the leaders of his administration, so too have we been choosing who our son's friends will be. These pictured are among those numbered in that crowd. They can't wait to meet their new little friend, leader, and snuggler.

Baby Boy's First Fortune

We cracked open three fortune cookies at Pei Wei the other night, and after I read what we deemed our son's to myself, I grinned big and said to Shannon, "You are never going to believe this." And she didn't, asking to see it to believe it. Here are all three, with mine first, Shannon's next, and boy's last but certainly not least:


This fortune deepens the story of the two becoming one, as our son's mom is the lover of words, and his dad likes planning and writing manuscripts. Maybe he can teach mom new words and dad how to really write.

Sad

We found out yesterday that an historic building on the campus of Toccoa Falls College, my alma mater, burned to the ground. The gateway to the grand falls, Gate Cottage was such a big part of my history growing up as I visited my grandparents who lived on campus. I remember visiting there as a little girl, strolling through the old gift shop that was underneath the restaurant. During college, Gate Cottage was a place that housed many wonderful memories of visiting the falls with friends. Most recently, Sean and I were there just this past Christmas on a walk around campus. Sean and I are also especially saddened as it was the site of our wedding reception just a little over 4 years ago. So many memories...

The only thing left standing is the original stone wall and steps that my grandfather, "Papa", actually helped to build back in the 1930's. Ironically, my father was there for its demise yesterday in the wee hours of the morning, as he and other policemen and firemen watched it burn. Anyone familiar with the history of this school knows that it has withstood its lion's share of fire and flood tragedies, the most notable of which being the great flood of 1977, which Gate Cottage was able to withstand. The picture above is of the building as I remember it as a little girl, before the newer addition was added several years ago. Our prayers are with the staff and students of the Falls during this hard time.

Getting stuff done

Now that the holidays have passed, we are in major nesting mode. We've made a list and are checking it twice, but it's certainly not for Santa. It's our list of things to do before our little traveling family expands to 3. Just this morning, we had a Shelby County Sheriff's Office Deputy come out to our place to check our car seat (a service I was very impressed that they offered.) She is certified for just this thing, and has actually been an instructor in car seat and child safety for 5 years, so we felt more comfortable having her check our efforts at securing our new car seat for accuracy. I have to say, she said that 9 out of 10 carseats are put in improperly, but ours was done right! She was impressed. And I think that has helped these novice parents feel a bit more confident in our abilities of what is to come. Now, if only every stage of childhood had it's own user's manual...

with arms wide open

Sean has posted some thoughts about how we are handling the final weeks of pregnancy on his blog, with arms wide open.