The Many Adventures of Allie-Cat and Claire-Bear

Locks of Love

2011-08-17T22:25:00.005-04:00

Before:

After:

On Tuesday, Claire gave 10 inches of her hair to Locks of Love. She loves her new haircut, and so do I! Today, we celebrated with a "girl's day," complete with a new pedicure, crafts, and a trip to Chocolate World. We also stopped by a sunflower field for some beautiful (and fun) pictures.

Life after Vacation

2011-08-02T10:09:00.003-04:00

It's hard to transition back to our normal routine after vacation. I came home feeling overwhelmed with all that I need to get done this month, and Claire came home feeling like there's not enough for her to do. This was a conversation we had about it this morning...

Claire: I don't know what to do.

Allie: We were just away for a whole week and hardly had any toys, but you didn't say that once while we were away. Now that we're home and you have a room full of toys, you don't know what to do??

Claire: I just don't know what to do.

Allie: Well, I have too much to do, maybe I could share some of what I have to do with you.

Claire: Maybe it's because you are too busy, and Stacy and Jimmy aren't here.

Allie: Good point.

Stone Harbor

2011-07-25T21:40:00.012-04:00

We had a wonderful day on the beach today. The weather was perfect - not too hot, like it has been - and a good cloud cover to give us a nice break from the sun. The ocean water was nice and refreshing, too.

Claire has FINALLY taken to the water!!! After 5 years of totally avoiding it, she completely changed her mind about the ocean - IT'S SO FUN!!!

There was an almost constant stream of dolphins today. Stacy and Jimmy were almost swimming with a family of them - babies and all. We were all enjoying watching them, whether they were just passing through, playing, jumping out of the water, or splashing with their tails.

A trench was dug in the sand leading from the ocean to a large hole. As the tide came in, it was fun to watch the water come up the trench and fill the hole. It was also fun to jump into the hole and dance around a bit.

This is the tell-tale sign of a good, fun day at the beach...

Messy Mommy

2011-07-21T10:07:00.002-04:00

Claire was working on a craft project this morning using black tempera paint. As soon as the words, "Be careful not to get your pretty outfit dirty," left my mouth, I had black paint on my white shirt. Claire, however, managed to stay perfectly clean - even without a smock.

This is why I love Shout spray.

Knoebels

2011-07-14T14:55:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was a great day to spend with good friends at Knoebels! The weather was perfect after a brief morning rain cooled things off. Thank you Jim, Judy, Lacy, and Abbie for a wonderful day!!

Claire's Favorite Ride...the Kiddie Whip

Avoiding the Paparazzi

Friends

Claire, Mimi, and Mommy with Giant Winnie-the-Pooh book

Enjoying the Ride

My personal favorite...we take our ice cream VERY seriously

Rainy Day Crafts

2011-07-08T16:13:00.006-04:00

Who needs cartoons on a rainy day when you can make paper bag puppets?

Let's Talk About the Weather

2011-06-09T15:06:00.003-04:00

Claire's comment of the day was, "IT IS STINKIN' HOT!"

Wherever you are and whatever you do, we hope you stay cool today.

Orange Juice Explosion

2011-05-20T16:44:00.003-04:00

Claire has a day bed in her room. The headboard and foot board double as balance beams, at least Claire likes to think that they do. It has always made me nervous, but as a parent there are just some things you decide not to battle over. This is one of them for me. Well, this afternoon during her quiet time, Claire was practicing the "balance beam," and I heard a loud crash come from her room. When I walked in, she was sitting on the floor at the foot of her bed crying, but her face was wet with more than just tears. She was crying out, "My cup broke, and I don't have any more orange juice!" After checking for broken bones (more important to me at the moment than any broken cup), and finding Claire in perfect health, I asked her what she meant by her broken cup. Apparently, the force of her fall somehow ruptured a cup of orange juice I had given her for quiet time (it was well-equipped with a lid and a straw to be less messy). I realized then that her face was wet with orange juice. The cup was in two halves, each one on opposite sides of the room. Every bit of orange juice that was inside the cup had been sprayed all over her room. I have a feeling we will be finding sticky things for quite some time. We decided to lay off the balance beam for a while. I'm just thankful that the only thing Claire broke was her cup.

Bird Watching

2011-04-22T13:00:00.004-04:00

Yesterday and today we've had a Baltimore Oriole visiting our backyard bird feeders.

Baltimore Oriole on the suet, Goldfinches on the Thistle feeder:

On the wreath (no, it's not a fake bird decoration):

Sharing with the Goldfinches:

Colorful birds: One of the many reasons we love Spring!

Is Laughter the Best Medicine?

2011-04-10T22:33:00.004-04:00

Claire came down with a fever tonight. She didn't seem to have any other symptoms, but when I asked her if she just wanted to rest and watch a movie, she said that she couldn't watch anything too funny, because if she laughs too much, she might throw up. Later, she said, "I tested it out, and I didn't throw up." Phew! Laughter is good medicine...usually.

Caught Up in a Good Book

2011-04-03T21:21:00.004-04:00

Whether on our own or together, Claire and I love reading. Claire is only just beginning to read on her own - mostly easy readers. It has been an exciting process to watch so far. What I love seeing is when a moment of free time arises, she will at times choose a book over a toy. That is what I caught her doing on these two occasions...

Just a few of our current favorite books to read together:

Betsy-Tacy, by Maud Hart Lovelace

Uncle Elephant, by Arnold Lobel (as pictured above)

In Grandma's Attic, by Arleta Richardson (we've read book 2 also, and hope to read more)

My Father's Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannett

Poppleton, by Cynthia Rylant (all of the Poppleton books are great!)

A few of Claire's favorite audiobooks:

Hello Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, by Betty MacDonald

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm, by Betty MacDonald

Three Tales of My Father's Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannett

Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, by A. A. Milne, narrated by Peter Dennis (No matter what age you are, if you have a chance to listen to these stories, you are in for a treat! Peter Dennis's voices will have you laughing yourself silly!!)

Happy Reading!!

Attack of the Ants!!

2011-03-22T14:39:00.002-04:00

Apparently we aren't the only ones welcoming Spring. Claire and I were sitting on the couch this afternoon when I thought I saw something moving across the carpet. I looked closer to see, and I saw an ant, and behind it, another crawling out of the carpet, and behind it, another. Suddenly, I noticed there were ants all over the carpet. I squished the ones I saw at first, but after a while I new I would need a faster method. So, I grabbed the vacuum cleaner. After sucking up a good many, I was told that they would probably survive the vacuum, and are probably crawling around in there. Ugh. I looked online to see if I could find a natural way of killing the ants both inside and outside (they just keep appearing out of the carpet) the vacuum. I found various methods of "all natural" ant control, including the following:

The Finger Method
1. Place finger over ant.
2. Push finger firmly on ant.
3. Twist and roll finger so the carcass will stick to said finger.
4. Repeat if necessary.
5. Wash hands as squashed ants stink.

Really??? Well, I'm off to battle the ants!

The Priorities of Life

2011-03-18T17:13:00.002-04:00

The Two Most Important Things in Life (According to Claire):

Number One - Knowing God.

Number Two - Getting to a bathroom when you need one.

OBX III

2011-03-15T17:39:00.004-04:00

Today's Agenda: North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island!

OBX II

2011-03-14T20:53:00.005-04:00

Today's weather was on the cool and windy side. We took a drive down to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse since it wasn't going to be a good beach day. The tour of the actual lighthouse was closed (Claire wouldn't have gone up that high anyway), so we enjoyed the view from below...

On our way back, we stopped at a giant Adirondak chair for some silly pictures...

The Blog is Back: Outer Banks!!

2011-03-13T18:11:00.003-04:00

We're having a great time in North Carolina! It was warm enough today to eat lunch on the balcony!! Here are a few pictures of the day...

Longwood Gardens

2010-06-27T21:57:00.003-04:00

I had the privilege of visiting Longwood Gardens yesterday. Here are some picture highlights.

2010-06-01T22:22:00.002-04:00

I just got back from the NEXT 2010 conference in Baltimore, MD. The messages are all available for download here. I had an awesome time. Although I missed my Claire more than I can say, it was so good to spend time being refreshed with truth and reminded of the love of my FIRST LOVE, Jesus Christ. If you get a chance, check out these excellent messages!

Finally, A New Blog Post!

2010-04-24T22:40:00.004-04:00

For the few of you out there that actually check our blog regularly, I apologize for every time you checked it since my last post, only to see that same old white squirrel! I know it looks creepy, so I am truly sorry for any emotional scarring or nightmares I've caused.

Seriously, though, here are a few pictures that show what we've been up to since the snow has melted...

Trip to the Baltimore Aquarium (Mimi not pictured)

Bubbles!

Claire's favorite fish - the seahorse!

Claire helping Mimi bake pies for Easter - in her pie-making outfit???

Easter Morning

"The White Squirrel"

2010-03-01T23:00:00.003-05:00

Since this past fall, we have had a new visitor to our neighborhood - "The White Squirrel," a.k.a., "Marshmallow." We noticed him across the street in the trees at first. Every now and then, we would see him run around, usually across the street. About two weeks ago, however, Claire and I looked out the back window at the bird feeders and saw him sneaking a treat! He has some good camouflage with all of the snow we've had!

Snow Day!!

2010-02-06T23:30:00.002-05:00

We measured 20 inches of snow in our front yard. Claire had a blast in the snow today!! It was too light for a snowman, though. Maybe next time. :)

A Cold Winter's Night

2010-01-09T21:14:00.003-05:00

I just snuck into Claire's room to snap this picture quick...

Unless it's a bath night, Claire typically wears summer p.j.'s to bed and still sometimes complains of being hot. Tonight was a bath night, and she must have been feeling exceptionally chilly, because she asked to wear a hat and gloves (actually, a mitten on one hand and a glove on the other) to bed. Of course, the mitten had to come off for thumb-access. Grammy may also recognize that she is wearing her plush robe, which also has fleece pajamas underneath!! She should be nice and toasty now!!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T22:25:00.003-05:00

I hope all who read this blog had a very Merry Christmas this year!

We spent Christmas Eve with our church family celebrating our Savior's birth. The church service was one of my favorite Christmas Eve services yet, featuring songs from Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God, and of course, songs sung by our church's very cute, lovable, and entertaining children. Most of all, it is a highlight of mine to worship the Lord for giving up his majestic throne in heaven and being born a lowly man all so that he could rescue lost sinners. We have an amazing God, and Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year to celebrate all that he is. It is always difficult not to become distracted by the cares and responsibilities of life during this season, but by God's grace, I hope I was able to at least come back to a place where I could remember the true reason for the season, and also to reflect that truth to Claire.

After church Christmas Eve and all day Christmas day was spent with family who we love so very much! It can be a full and exhausting 24 hours, but I am so thankful that we can see our family that we love very much for Christmas.

Oh...Christmas Tree

2009-12-14T23:04:00.002-05:00

I know most of you probably think this post will include a beautiful picture of a Christmas tree all decorated for Christmas. Well, our tree this year came home last Saturday, became beautifully arranged with Christmas lights and ornaments by Tuesday, and completely undecorated and taken out with the trash on Sunday. The poor tree died only days after being brought home. We would be sitting on the couch and could hear the needles dropping to the floor. My parents went to the same Christmas tree farm they always go to, cut it down themselves, re-cut the bottom off of the tree as soon as they got home and put it in water immediately. Sounds like they did everything right...? Oh well, the only thing I can think of is that Claire and I couldn't go along this year to get it, so now maybe we'll get a second chance. We'll all get a second chance to arrange lights and ornaments. :) Seriously, it is fun the first time, but the second time...??? It kind of gets old. I feel bad for my parents, though, who did the most work already by cutting down the first one, putting it up, decorating, taking it down, cleaning up all of the needles, etc. Hopefully we'll have success with Tree No. 2, which the Christmas tree farm is giving us free of charge.

Claire's 4th Birthday (Sorry So Late!)

2009-10-29T22:55:00.005-04:00

Okay, so I need to be more diligent with my blogging. Sorry! Life has definitely been busy lately, but I will try to do better with updating this blog. It's terrible that I am just now getting around to updating the blog with Claire's Birthday, since it was almost 2 months ago!! Oh well, better late than never, right??

I can't believe Claire is 4 years old. She is turning into such a little lady. Here are some pictures from her 4th birthday celebration, which was spent with her family...

The last picture was taken at ZooAmerica, which is where Claire's Aunt Erica, Mimi, and I took her to celebrate her actual birthday. It worked out well that her birthday was on Labor Day so that Mimi and Aunt Erica had the day off. It was a great day!!

I thank God every day for the precious gift Claire is to me. His grace is so evident in her life. She is so gentle and kind, and never fails to brighten my day! Lately I've been having trouble with my car, but every time something has gone wrong with it, she says something to cheer me up. What a sweetie!! She also regularly gives me hugs and kisses out of the blue, just because she feels like it. :) God is so kind to bless me with such a wonderful daughter!

Happy Camper Award

2009-08-19T11:38:00.002-04:00

I gave Claire the "Happy Camper Award" for our recent camping trip. She went into it saying, "I don't want to go," and came out saying, "I love camping. I want to do it again!" She was afraid of the campfire before we went, and started to cry when the fire was getting started the first day. But before we knew it, she changed her mind and started to love the campfire! We had a great time with our friends from church, talking around the campfire, taking walks, going to the swimming pool, etc. Thanks to our friends who kindly lent us camping supplies (Tim and Nicoli for the tent, Kevin and Jenny for the air mattress, John and Wendy for the propane stove)! Thanks to Ken and Beth for covering our camping costs and sharing a campsite with us - your generosity is very much appreciated, and we so enjoyed your company! And thanks to Suzanne Risser for organizing the church camping trip, giving me advice and pointers, and generally making me comfortable with the idea of taking Claire camping. I hope it is something we can do more of in the future.

Summertime Fun

2009-08-13T10:44:00.005-04:00

It seems as though we've been getting swept away with summer activities lately, which can feel overwhelmingly busy at times, but fun all the while. Here are a few highlights from the summer...

Riverside Park with Isabella

Hershey Gardens with Gabi

Swimming at Aunt Erica's

Playing in the Sand in Stone Harbor, NJ

Crayola Factory in Easton, PA with Mimi & Mommy

We would love to hear what your favorite summertime activities have been, so please feel free to leave comments for us!

Now we are off this afternoon to go camping with some people from church at Camp Hebron through Saturday. It will be Claire's first camping trip, and my first time camping in a tent for more than one night. I will try not to wait too long to update you all on how it went!

Our Vegetable Garden

2009-06-26T13:48:00.004-04:00

My dad so graciously dug out an area of the yard for me to plant a vegetable garden this year, and it has done very well. Thanks to my dad for the digging and turning over of soil, my grandfather-in-law for giving us several plants he didn't have room for in his garden, and to God for the abundance of rain this Spring, it is looking very well. I have a few peppers that are soon ready to be picked, several small zucchini, some spinach, and some herbs. The tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, red onions, butternut squash, and a cantaloupe will arrive later this summer and early next fall. It is so much fun to watch, and will be very yummy to eat!!

Back on the "Neb"

2009-05-30T23:36:00.005-04:00

Claire had a strange and unexpected appearance of asthma, accompanied by pneumonia in the beginning of April. One week on a nebulizer and some antibiotics cleared her up just fine. She's been fine since then until yesterday, when after two days of a runny nose, she started wheezing again. The doctor found an ear infection (not pneumonia, thankfully) this time, so we're back on the nebulizer and antibiotics again! It's so strange to me how my little girl can be as healthy as can be and all of the sudden can't breathe. I don't know whether allergies are causing her troubles, or what, but I'm hoping we can get it all under control soon.

The medicine that accompanies the nebulizer has had some interesting side effects. It seems to make Claire very hyper and talkative. She is for the most part a very cheerful (even more than usual) little girl, but occasionally something will upset her and she is having a meltdown. It's like this medicine has her on emotional highs and lows. Fortunately, there have been more highs than lows.

Pictures from April with "Big Night-Night" and the Nebulizer:

Visit to Winterthur

2009-05-17T22:33:00.005-04:00

This past Wednesday, Claire and I packed up into my Aunt Debbie's car and took a road trip to Winterthur, Delaware. Winterthur, pronounced "Winter Tour" is a country estate of the du Pont family. It is a historic site as well as a garden. It would take multiple day trips to see everything at Winterthur, but what we saw during our trip was wonderful.

Upon our arrival at Winterthur, we boarded a tram (with a high-spirited tour guide) that traveled through the gardens. The view of the "Azalea Woods" (recently featured on the Martha Stewart Show) was breathtaking, as the azaleas were blooming at about their peak.

Our first stop was the Enchanted Woods, featuring a Faerie Cottage, Tulip Tree House, and more...

Faerie Cottage

Tulip Tree House

Fairy Ring (Circle of Toadstool statues/seats that spray mist into the center of the circle. Claire wanted to dance in the middle of it all day!)

Fairy Tea Party

Labyrinth (Claire enjoyed this, too. Debbie and I enjoyed it, but got a little dizzy!)

Debbie & Claire by the Giant Bird's Nest

After seeing all there was to see in the Enchanted Woods, we walked through the gardens to the reflecting pool, which was behind the mansion (containing 175 rooms, by the way).

Claire and I standing up on the waterfalls that flow into the reflecting pool (used to be the family's swimming pool)

On the other side of the reflecting pool and leading into the mansion/museum, there is a Handkerchief Tree (a.k.a. Dove Tree). Apparently a rare tree in the U.S., the flower on this tree resembles a Hankie.

We really enjoyed our trip with Aunt Debbie. We always love spending time with her, and this was such a beautiful day with beautiful surroundings.

Celebrating Mother's Day

2009-05-09T22:56:00.004-04:00

This Mother's Day, I want to highlight two females in my life. These two "women" are the most important "women" God has placed in my life. The first, my very own mother. The second, the one who God graciously gave me to make me a mother, Claire.

First, as I think about my mother, I can't help but think of her generosity. She gives financially, as well as of her time. My mom could have spent her inheritance in many ways, but she decided to pay off the college debt of all three of her daughters instead. Sacrificing an income as we were growing up, she stayed home to care for us. Even now, when she learns of a need (need is used loosely here) from one of her daughters, she is quick to step up and offer help. As a grandmother, she gives so much of herself to Claire. Sacrificing one of the "perks" of grand-parenthood - being able to enjoy grandchildren, but also being able to enjoy an empty (quiet) nest when they go home - my mom embraces having Claire and I live with my parents. Their home is far from quiet at times due to a learning 3-year-old, fully equipped with energy, laughter, singing and dancing, not to mention the inevitable temper tantrum. Yet my mom, who we are so blessed to have, seems to be blessed by us being here.

Another trait I see in my mom is that she is a great gardener. I admire how she toils in this nice, spring weather, not afraid to get her hands dirty (or run into a few worms and bugs). I know she didn't always have time to make our gardens so nice growing up. But I hope she knows that she was toiling a different garden, often getting her hands dirty and running into "worms" and "bugs" of a different sort, as she raised my sisters and I. Her time was well spent, even though I'm sure she didn't see the rewards so quickly as she would have in a flower garden.

I love you, Mom, and I thank you for sacrificing so much for us. Thank you for supporting me in my own mothering. You are a huge means of God's grace to me!

To the second "lady" in my life, my precious Claire. I thank God every day for this gift He has given me. I never imagined what being a mother would feel like until you came along. You have brought me joy in ways I wouldn't have expected. Your laugh lifts my spirits when they are low. At age three, you already encourage me with kind words. I mess up as a Mommy daily, but you are so quick to forgive me every time. I am so blessed and undeserving to have you in my life.

This Mother's Day, even knowing that I will toil myself in the soil of motherhood, I feel so privileged to do so. With what I have in Christ, I am so rich. With what I have from my mother and daughter, I am even richer yet.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-08T15:51:00.002-04:00

I've found some interesting writings on Mother's Day on various blogs. Two of which I will link you to here:

http://www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/In-Honor-of-Godly-Mothers

http://girltalk.blogs.com/girltalk/

You will find it interesting (unless you already knew) how Mother's Day was originally established in the first link. Both links help us all to keep our focus (whether we are mothers or not) where it belongs.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Birthday, Dad ("Pap")

2009-05-04T13:00:00.002-04:00

Today is my dad's (and Claire's pap's) birthday. My dad is an extraordinary man (even though he probably doesn't think he is). He has been a faithful husband to my mom for 34 years, working hard so my mom could stay home and take care of my sisters and I. He has also been a selfless dad to three girls (he was hugely outnumbered), supporting us in all of our interests. He's killed millions of spiders (and other creepy crawlers), taught three teenage girls how to drive (yikes!), worked overtime for years without complaining about it, tried to teach us sports (some of us weren't very good learners in that area), took us for hikes and nature walks (and cleaned our muddy sneakers when we got home), taught us about birds and other wildlife, kept our cars (and now some of our houses) in good working order, and always made us laugh (or roll our eyes) with a good, corny joke. These are only a few of the things I appreciate about my dad. Now, he continues to be a supportive grandfather to Claire. He reads her stories (even princess ones) after a long day and long drive home from work, takes us out for breakfast many Saturday mornings, takes us birdwatching, and has even been known to be a bridesmaid in one of Claire's pretend weddings.

Dad, I hope you know just how much you are appreciated!! Happy Birthday!!

Spring Update

2009-05-02T22:28:00.005-04:00

I'm sorry I haven't been regular at all with my blogging lately. I will try to do better! Here are some highlights from the past few weeks:

Easter
The night before Easter morning, Claire and I read from her Bible the stories of Jesus' death and resurrection. I was very grateful for the opportunity to remind Claire (and myself) of the real reason why we celebrate Easter (not Easter candy, baskets, egg hunts, etc.)! Here are a few pictures from Easter including a visit with Grammy, Mama and Papa, and the annual egg hunt at my parents' house.

Claire in her Easter dress Mama (Claire's great-grandmother)made for her.

Claire and Mama

Claire, Daddy, and Grammy

Easter Baskets from Mama & Grammy

Egg hunting

Everyone at the Egg Hunt (with 181 eggs!)

Hershey Gardens
We love visiting Hershey Gardens, and thanks to our household membership, we can visit whenever we like. We took the day last Friday to visit the gardens with Aunt Debbie to enjoy the beautiful tulips.

Claire and Aunt Debbie

Stop and smell the tulips

Claire and Mommy

Tumbling Class (Sorry, no pictures)
I enrolled Claire in a tumbling class through our township, which consists of 6 consecutive weekly classes where three- to five-year-olds learn all sorts of tricks. In her tumbling class, Claire has been crab walking, log rolling, walking on a balance beam, and, most importantly, having fun!
It is so much fun for me to watch, too! Claire has also enjoyed making some new friends and is always excited to go back every week.

Learning Center Family Night
My nieces and Claire's cousins, Gabriella and Isabella, participated in a homeschooling co-op this school year. We were invited to their family night. Both girls did a great job in their presentations on stage! It was also wonderful to see some artwork on display and some pictures from their school year. Way to go, girls!!

Claire's First Bowling Experience
Claire got the opportunity to bowl last weekend for the very first time! I was impressed at how far bowling alleys have come since I was younger. The bumpers automatically came up out of the ground when it was Claire's turn, and they had a "slide" she could use to push her ball down, giving it a bit more momentum than it would have otherwise. :) The non-smoking part is a huge improvement, too. Claire was our team's cheerleader...it didn't matter how poorly you bowled, she would always be quick to shout, "Good job!" after your turn, complete with a thumbs up and everything. What a great encourager!! Claire carried her own, 7 lb. ball, every single turn. Thankfully she didn't drop it on her toes! She even bowled a spare for one of her turns!

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T22:38:00.003-04:00

"He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." - Isaiah 53: 3-6

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." - 1 Peter 1: 3-5

Wishing you a very Happy Easter as you celebrate the Lord's death and resurrection. May he be at the center of all that we do, especially on Easter day.

"Maglifinding"

2009-03-16T22:52:00.004-04:00

Claire received a new toy the other day - a magnifying glass, which she calls a "maglifinding" glass. She loves to take it with her when we go to the store, look at all of the pictures in her books with it, and basically just walk around the house "maglifinding" things. It is so cute!

(Inspecting her water for bacteria???)

Middle Creek

2009-03-08T21:51:00.005-04:00

Every March for the past few years, we have gone with my parents to Middle Creek, where the snow geese and tundra swans stop to feed during their migration north. There were approximately 25,000 snow geese and 3,600 tundra swans this weekend (we didn't count them, and I don't know how they come up with these numbers!). Although there were less than we have seen in other years, it was still absolutely breathtaking. We have an amazing creator!

A friendly snow goose coming up close to the birdwatchers:

Fields covered with snow geese:

A few tundra swans flying over the water (these make a beautiful sound):

A cute little birdwatcher:

We also spent some time in the visitors center, which has all kinds of interesting things to look at. Here is Claire feeling the animal fur:

Claire, Gram Gram, and Pap:

Claire & Mimi:

We had a wonderful day birdwatching. In addition to the snow geese and tundra swans, we also saw Canada geese, ring-necked ducks, mergansers, pintails, bluebirds and a belted kingfisher. I am so thankful for my parents who share these awesome experiences with us and teach us all about birdwatching! Thanks Mom & Dad!

Sale!

2009-02-04T10:23:00.001-05:00

Sovereign Grace Ministries is having a sale for the month of February. Click the picture above for some great deals on some great resources!

Time with Laura

2009-01-27T23:11:00.004-05:00

Our friend Laura was in PA last week for a few days, and we were so blessed to spend some time with her on Friday! Friday morning, we put together a Gingerbread Tree kit that Stacy gave us at Christmas time. We put Claire in charge of the candy, since we figured she could handle that job. :) Laura was in charge of piping the icing, which was good because she is extremely knowledgeable and experienced with gingerbread building. I was in charge of spreading the icing and taking pictures, of course.

Laura suggested dusting our tree with powdered sugar, which I thought added a really nice touch. We had a lot of fun building our tree, and Claire enjoyed a few (or more) pieces of candy and a few (or more) licks of icing.

In the afternoon, we made our way to Chocolate World to ride the Chocolate Tour ride and enjoy some extremely scrumptious cookies! We had a great time with you, Laura! And as always, we look forward to the next time we see you. :)

Bathtub Tea Party

2009-01-23T23:46:00.003-05:00

Tonight, while I was preparing to give Claire her bath, she came up with the idea to have a tea party in the bathtub. We have a lot of different bath toys, but occasionally, Claire likes to choose unconventional bath toys by asking to put regular toys from her room in the tub. She has gotten smart enough to figure out which toys work and which toys don't work in the bathtub. For instance, she doesn't ask to put her stuffed animals in the tub. Tonight, she asked if she could play with a few plastic tea cups. I said sure, and she proceeded to gather two tea cups, two bowls, a teapot, and a tray (to carry it all on) from her kitchen set. While being bathed, she even made a cup of "tea" for me. I asked her if she had Earl Grey, and she replied, "No, but we do have 'tea-caf'." I had to giggle...I think she hears us talking about "decaf" coffee and thinks we are saying "tea-caf," which, in her mind, must be some type of tea!

Frere Jacques...Claire's Version

2009-01-20T14:44:00.003-05:00

This video shows Claire singing her version of the song, "Frere Jacques." I sincerely hope that her version doesn't mean anything offensive in French (or any other language). Enjoy!

Settled?

2009-01-19T22:44:00.002-05:00

Someone recently asked me if I was feeling more settled in life than I was two plus years ago when I was faced with a difficult trial in my life. I understand why the question was asked, because it is probably what most people would expect. It is said that "time is a healer." However, I'm not convinced this is true after walking down the road I've been on.

I regularly follow a blog that was originally set up after a young man was in a tragic car accident on September 30, 2006. The blog was set up to let people know how to pray for this man who came extremely close to losing his life altogether. He is still not back to his pre-accident brain and bodily function, yet many continue to pray for Ian Murphy. His good friend, Larissa, writes:

"Time does nothing to grief but make it deeper and more wearying. Two years has not erased any grief. It hasn't made it easier. Time has only made the grief deeper as each day we live one more day without Ian the way he used to be. To re-use one of Steve's illustrations, instead of an intense grief, it now is always lingering, always over our shoulder, always ready to manifest itself.

"Ian's progress doesn't change my grief. It encourages me, but it doesn't even touch the grief that I know. Even if Ian were to be healed completely today, I would still grieve for what he has suffered and endured. I would still grieve for what happened to Ian September 30.

"There is much to say about grief, but this is it for now. For those who encounter significant suffering in their lives, maybe the grieving never ends, until meeting Jesus.

"'Sorrowful yet always rejoicing.'"

To check out Ian Murphy's blog, click here: prayforian.com.

2008 Reflections

2009-01-02T00:13:00.004-05:00

I often catch myself thinking, "I hope 2009 is better than 2008." When I really think about it, I am hoping that the circumstances of my life are better, easier, more pleasant, etc. than those I faced this past year. First of all, I too often forget all of God's blessings. He has been SO GOOD to me! I am a HUGE sinner (those who know me best can testify!). Yet I stand forgiven before the throne of grace. More than that, I am surrounded by blessings that come in the form of a wonderful daughter, loving family and friends, a comfortable home to live in, and needs that are continually being met. Even more than that, the difficult circumstances that I do face are being used for good. This truth never ceases to amaze me..."And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). When you look at the picture posted above, it is the clouds that make the blue sky and sun's rays even more radiant. Given blue skies and sunshine, we will never truly appreciate their value and beauty without the clouds and the rain.

While I don't believe it is wrong to hope for better circumstances in my life, I ultimately want my hope to be in God for whatever comes my way. "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). My life certainly hasn't gone as I expected it to, but I can stand on this truth...God's love will never be taken away from me. Here's to God's glory in 2009!

"My Heart is Beating for a Gumdrop!"

2008-12-29T22:36:00.003-05:00

Kids tend to say some pretty funny things, but tonight I couldn't believe my ears... With hopes of building a gingerbread house during the Christmas season, I bought a bag of gumdrops from our favorite candy store, Zimmerman's. The gingerbread house didn't happen, but now we have a bag of gumdrops, which probably makes Claire just as happy. After dinner tonight, she exclaimed, "Mommy, I really want a gumdrop! My heart is beating for a gumdrop!" I have no idea where she would have heard an expression like that, but it gives you an idea of how intensely fond of gumdrops Claire is!

Dancing...again

2008-12-22T00:01:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, we went to a family Christmas party. I took this video of Claire dancing. I think at some point I am going to need to take her to dance class. The girl just LOVES to dance!! (Sorry, Cait, for getting you eating in the background.)

TAGGED...A Walk Down Memory Lane

2008-12-14T23:41:00.005-05:00

I've been tagged. The rules are as follows:

*Go to your sixth picture folder and pick the sixth picture.

*Pray that you remember the details.

*Post it on your blog.

*Tag 5 others, leaving them a note letting them know they've been tagged.

Unfortunately, I only have 4 items in my 6th folder, and they are all videos. Fortunately, I'm going to post the 4th video for your entertainment. I posted a similar video a while ago. Claire was reading a book to her "students." She also included a little lesson on words that start with "S." In case you can't hear her very well, the words are "Skittle" and "Snake." Enjoy!

I tag Donna, Emily, Darla, and Laura.

Mercy

2008-12-01T00:31:00.003-05:00

There is a line in a song we sing in church that says, "And if you judged my sin, I'd never stand again. But I see mercy in your hands." This line especially hits home after this weekend because I spent some time with people who were a big part of my life before Christ. My 10 year reunion was Saturday night, and I came away with such gratitude to God for how he has transformed my life. I don't mean to criticize or judge the people I was with, but after spending time with some of them, so many memories came flooding back of how I lived my life before God extended his mercy to me. I lived my life for me, and not at all for God. I even went to church and proclaimed to be a Christian, but that makes it all the worse because I was a hypocrite. This morning, I was reminded of what Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians, which is what I will leave you with...

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." -Ephesians 2:1-9

First Snow and a Happy Birthday

2008-11-22T13:26:00.006-05:00

It's hard to believe it's this time of year already, but as we celebrated my mom's birthday yesterday, we also enjoyed some white wintery weather. Claire has been talking about playing in the snow for weeks, so of course we went out to do some of that.

All geared up...

Our baby snowman...

Last night, some of us took my mom out to dinner for her birthday. As you can see, we had a good time! :) Happy Birthday, Mom!!

We only wish that Stacy and Jimmy could have made it up, but Jimmy is in the midst of college wrestling season, and Stacy had to sit in 3 hours of traffic to get home from work. We missed you both!

Flies, Turkeys, and Underwear

2008-11-15T20:30:00.004-05:00

I know it's a strange title, but it gives you an idea of what we've been up two the last two weeks. First, I dressed up as a fly for a costume party:

Then, Claire dressed her pumpkin up as a turkey:

She also likes to act like a turkey:

And our last piece of news has to do with underwear. Sorry, no pictures here. :) But the good news is that Claire has successfully been wearing "big girl underwear" and using the potty (No. 1 AND No. 2) for a little over a week!! I am so proud of how well she is doing. She even does a good job in public. I think it's like when she took her first steps. She waited a long time to do it, but when she finally decided to do it, she was running!

I will leave you now with a picture of my wonderful brother- and sister-in-law, Mr. Corn and Mrs. Loofah. I think their costumes are quite fitting to their personalities. Benny can be corny and Caitlin loves keeping things clean. I love you guys!!

Trick or Treat

2008-10-31T21:22:00.006-04:00

Last night our neighborhood had Trick or Treat night for the kids. Claire is really getting into dressing up in costume. Here are some pictures from the festivities...

Cinderella (Isabella), Jack-O-Lantern (Claire), and Tinkerbell (Gabi)...

Hitchin' A Ride...

Looking for a treat...

Emily, Gram Gram, and Claire (from a visit earlier in the day)...

Dreary Day

2008-10-25T22:43:00.003-04:00

Today was a particularly difficult day for me. It was a battle for joy in many ways. As the psalmist writes, "My soul melts away for sorrow." Though I felt surrounded by darkness at times, God's Word was my comfort and my light. I was reminded that rather than dwelling on what's been lost to me in this life, God would have me "seek first the kingdom of heaven and righteousness." "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord." What God took away from me was not eternal, and I am to long for that which is eternal. "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces."

Pumpkin Picking

2008-10-18T22:20:00.003-04:00

I love this time of year...the cool weather, the glowing colors of the autumn leaves, the smell of apples, and, of course, picking pumpkins! Claire and I went with Mimi and Pap to Strite's Orchard this past week to pick our pumpkins. Here are a few snapshots of our trip to Strite's...

(Dancing...as usual)

Claire Art

2008-10-07T11:49:00.004-04:00

This morning, Claire was feeling creative (as usual) and drew the picture below. She titled it, "A Monkey with Glasses." I am so proud of her work. She takes after her Aunt Stacy and Uncle Seth.

New England Trip: Part Two

2008-09-28T15:25:00.010-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posting the second part of our New England Trip. We got home last Monday, and it's been a crazy week between unpacking, laundry, getting ready for a craft show yesterday (that got rained out), and just getting back to the routine of everyday life. But I don't want to neglect telling you about the rest of our awesome trip!

Last Saturday morning, Laura, her mom (Sue), Claire, and I all left Laura's house to go to Boston for the day. Laura drove us into the city and parked at her work. From there, we took the T (subway) to the Boston Children's Museum. We had SO MUCH fun!! (And I mean all of us...you don't have to be a "child" to enjoy a children's museum!) Here are some highlights...

Claire and I in front of the Boston Children's Museum...

Laura & Sue

Having fun in the Bubbles room...

Claire in the Boats Afloat room...

The Pico Duarte Market...

Working the cash register...

That's a lot of groceries!!

After the Children's Museum, we headed to Quincy Market at Faneuil Hall Market Place. The food was delicious, and there was a lot to see. Entertainers were scattered around the marketplace - mimes, one man bands, etc. My personal favorite is the man dressed in colonial clothing below (you'll see why). Claire and I packed our lunches so we could splurge on dessert. I had a yummy chocolate chip cannoli and coffee, and Claire picked out a giant M&M cookie.

Claire & her cookie...

The colonial man (drinking a Coke)...

After eating and walking around Faneuil Hall a bit, we made our way to Boston Common, the oldest city park in the U.S. Boston Common is the home of the "Make Way for Duckings" statue, based on the book by Robert McCloskey.

Claire had fun (once we woke her up from her little nap in the stroller on our way to the park) playing on the ducks...

We had such a nice day in Boston. The weather was beautiful, and Laura did such a great job planning our day and navigating us around the city. I also learned that Claire might be more of a city girl than mountain girl. When we asked her what her favorite part of Boston was, she said, "The Train!" I think it's funny that she's afraid of campfires but loves the subway. :)

Sunday, we got up and went to Laura's church. Claire shocked Laura and I when she asked if she could go downstairs to children's church with the rest of the kids. I didn't think she'd stay and let me leave to hear the sermon when she didn't know anybody. However, she made herself at home and forgot all about me. When we came to pick her up after church was over, she cried and wanted to stay! Just when I think she can be so insecure and have separation issues, she shows me just how independent she can be. I was so proud of her!

After church, we got to meet Laura's grandmother and Aunt Sharon at their house, where we had lunch together. After lunch and a little playtime (Laura's grandma had all kinds of toys for Claire to play with), we drove up to New Boston, New Hampshire to a farm stand where Laura's brother and his girlfriend work. Here are a few pictures from the farm stand...

We had a GREAT time during our trip! It was so good to see Laura and visit with her, and we did so many fun and exciting things. Thanks, Laura, for your hospitality and kindness in having us stay with you! Thanks, also, for your great friendship - we both treasure you!!

New England Trip: Part One

2008-09-23T10:43:00.017-04:00

Claire and I just returned last night from our trip to New England to visit our friend Laura. Laura lives in Lowell, Massachusetts, but all of her family lives in New Hampshire. We spent a day in the mountains in New Hampshire, some time visiting her family, and a day in Boston, Massachusetts.

We drove up to Laura's house Wednesday, September 17th. It took us all day to get there. Thursday, we got up and got ready to drive up to Warren, New Hampshire, where Laura's aunt and uncle have a cabin on Mount Moosilauke. While we were there, we ate our lunch by Baker River, visited a fish hatchery, hiked up part of Mount Moosilauke, and roasted hot dogs over a campfire for dinner.

Here is a video of Claire and Laura at the Fish Hatchery...

And some other pictures from our trip to the mountains:

Claire and Mommy at the Fish Hatchery...

Crystal clear Baker River...

Laura and Claire sitting on the rocks...

The cabin (Claire standing by the back door)...

"Rock" the Toad (named by Claire)...

Claire hiking down the mountain...

Beautiful Fall Foliage...

I learned that Claire is afraid of campfires as she screamed and held onto me with a death grip anytime we approached the campfire. This made roasting hot dogs interesting. :) We originally planned to stay overnight Thursday at the cabin, but as the day went on, the temperature kept dropping. Claire had a slight cold as it was, and Laura didn't feel comfortable lighting her aunt and uncle's wood stove (I didn't blame her), so we decided to drive back to Laura's to spend the night in a warm house instead of freezing. The temperature probably dropped to the low 30s that night! On our way home, we got out of the car to look up at the night sky. If you've ever been far enough away from civilization to see such a beautiful night sky, you know what I'm talking about. It is absolutely breathtaking!

Friday we got up feeling well rested and warm and very glad we didn't spend the night in the mountains! We took our time getting ready, and eventually headed to some stores...Christmas Tree Shops, L.L. Bean Outlet, CVS for some Benedryl for poor Claire (whose nose needed wiped pretty often by this point). After shopping we drove to Laura's mom's house in Auburn, New Hampshire, and had a delicious and extremely filling dinner! Before dinner, we snacked on some yummy veggies, cheese, and crackers. Laura's mom has an AMAZING veggie dip recipe:

Vegetable Dip

3/4 c. mayonnaise (real, preferably not low-fat)
3/4 c. sour cream
1 tsp. dried dill weed
less than 1 tsp. garlic salt
less than 1 tsp. onion salt
1 Tbsp. dried chives

After driving back to Laura's Friday night, we headed right to bed so we'd be ready to wake up and go do Boston Saturday morning!! More about Boston in Part Two of our New England Trip...

Doctor Visit

2008-09-15T13:04:00.003-04:00

Today Claire was scheduled to visit the doctor for her 3 year checkup. It was timely, because this morning she woke up before dawn with diarrhea and a little vomiting. :( Claire has never enjoyed a doctor visit, and today proved to be more of the same. Very reluctant to even get in the car and go, I assured her that the doctor was very nice, and she could bring Pickles (her new baby doll) along to get checked, too. She only wanted Pickles to get checked. Other than a stomach virus, Claire and Pickles are in tip top shape. Claire measured just shy of 40'' tall at 39 3/4'', and weighs 33 lbs. In case you're wondering, her height puts her in the 97th percentile and weight in the 74th. She is now resting comfortably in her bed (thankfully) and I think I will do the same after a much too early and eventful morning. Goodnight. :)

Dancing Queen

2008-09-14T15:03:00.003-04:00

To follow up the wedding post, here is a video showing you what Claire did from the time we arrived at the wedding reception until the time we left (except when I had to keep her off the dance floor for the special dances and for a bite of her dinner here and there).

Melissa & Brian's Wedding

2008-09-14T14:25:00.007-04:00

My cousin, Melissa, was married yesterday. Claire had the honor of being their flower girl. Here are a few pics of my beautiful girl and the wedding day. I cried a few times thinking about how soon my little girl may have her own wedding day. I try not to think about it too much, but I'm sure the years will fly by.

Getting Dressed and Twirling Around...

Bubbles!...

My Sisters and I...

Sunflower for the Flower Girl...

Claire's Pomander...

Father-Daughter Dance...

Mother-Son Dance...

Cutting the Cake...

My Aunt Cathy (Mother of the Bride) Dancing with Claire...

Everything was all so beautiful yesterday. Claire and I were honored to be a part of such a beautiful and special day of Melissa and Brian's life. We pray God's blessings upon your marriage and new lives together!

Claire's Story Time

2008-09-12T14:57:00.002-04:00

The other day, I was busy doing something, and I walked into the living room to find Claire sitting in her rocking chair, and "Wasabi" (the green frog you see in the video) listening to a story. Claire set it all up herself. She is reading The Barnyard Dance, one of her favorites!

Three Blessed Years

2008-09-06T22:53:00.015-04:00

My beautiful little Claire Bear is three years old tomorrow. It's so hard to believe! The past three years have been filled with joyful as well as sorrowful times, but through it all, God has never ceased to be faithful to Claire and I. I thank him everyday for this wonderful gift he has given me - a beautiful daughter. But as I thank him for this gift, it reminds me of the greatest gift he has given me. His only son. When I think about how much I treasure Claire, it's so difficult to understand how God would give up his only son to die for a sinner like me, so he could rescue me from my sin and call me his daughter. This is the most precious gift - his son. And to top it all off, he has also blessed me with my Claire Bear!

Here are just a few pictures of the past three years...

The first few hours...

The first few weeks...

One year old (yes, she's playing inside the toybox)...

Two years old...

Three years old!!...

Happy Birthday, Claire!

Playdough Celebration!

2008-08-29T21:58:00.003-04:00

Claire LOVES Playdough!! Today, we had what I'll call a Playdough Celebration. Let me explain.... Since May, Claire has not been sleeping well - getting up numerous times after I initially put her to bed, getting up 3-5 times in the middle of the night every night, then waking up earlier than ever before. Needless to say, it's been a trying experience for me. Anyway, when I discovered how much she loves playdough, I decided to save it as a reward for when she does a good job staying in her bed. Last night, she had a GREAT night, so we celebrated this morning with PLAYDOUGH!!

This was her first reaction...

Here are a few pictures of my little sculptor at work...

Stone Harbor Vacation

2008-08-29T10:47:00.010-04:00

As I wrote in my last post, my family went to Stone Harbor, NJ for a week's vacation in the beginning of August. Here are a few highlights from our vacation...

Chillin' in the pool (thanks to Gabi & Isabella who let us borrow their swimming pool for the week)

Luke & Sara in the pool with Claire

Having lunch with a friend (Claire & Sara)

We walked on the beach one day to find an enormous pile of sand and tons of people working to build a sand village

Then we made our own sand village

Watching the guys play ladder golf (thanks to Erica & Tim who brought this really fun game)

It's the kids' turn!

Enjoying a cup of "Cookie Monster" ice cream (thankfully, it came out in the wash!)

Summer Update

2008-08-10T16:32:00.013-04:00

We've been strangers again...sorry about that. It's been a crazy summer with travel, all sorts of activities, and not much sleep in between. Here is a little update on what we've been up to since my last post. First, Claire seems to really enjoy wearing shower caps around the house. Here are a few pictures.

Also, my niece, Isabella, turned 3 July 9th. Yeah, Isabella! Here are some pictures from her fun birthday party.

Claire went to Bible School at Mimi and Pap's church in mid-July. The theme was Rain forest Adventure. Here is a picture of Claire with a rain forest bird mask that she made. She wanted to wear it constantly!

I was so blessed to go to the beach over the weekend in late July with some close friends and without kids. Thanks to all of the daddies for making that weekend possible! We were actually able to take long walks on the beach, talk without interruptions, sit, relax, and read on the beach. These things just don't happen with kids around. We all love our little ones dearly, and we were all happy to see them again when we got home, but it was refreshing to get some time away, encourage one another in the faith, and prepare our hearts for the tasks that awaited us at home.

Well, that's about it for now. Claire and I just got back from another beach trip Friday night, so I'll devote the next few posts to that trip. Bye for now!

Allie & Claire's Trip to Railroad

2008-07-05T21:31:00.011-04:00

Claire and I went to Railroad, PA to visit my sister, Stacy, and her boyfriend, Jimmy. We arrived on Thursday afternoon and went to the New Freedom Carnival in the evening. We feasted on carnival food (Claire's favorite - funnel cake!) and played lots of games (won lots of prizes). We thought Claire might ride one or two rides, but she was more interested in the sliding board at the playground instead.

Look Ma, no hands!

Stacy and Claire...

Jimmy and Claire Goin' Fishin'...

Claire using her charm to convince Stacy that the little slide is better than the big one...

After breakfast Friday morning, we went for a walk on the Heritage Rail Trail County Park trail which runs right by their house. We saw a deer cross the trail while we were walking, and we found, picked, and ate some wild black raspberries. It was a great way to spend the morning.

Claire on the train tracks...

A fellow rail trail walker...

Jumping Bean...

Thanks, Stacy and Jimmy, for having us!! It was great to be with you!

Furry Friend

2008-07-04T14:27:00.003-04:00

Karma, my sister's bullmastiff, joined us for the week while my sister went on vacation. It has been interesting, to say the least. I'm not really a dog person, and although I get along fine with Karma, I don't think this week has changed my mind. (Sorry, Erica.) Claire likes Karma, but she's a little afraid (which is no suprise considering Karma's size), and she often says, "I like when Karma's in her crate." It's been an adventure!!

On another note, here is a picture of Claire with her favorite juice - Big Bird Juice!

We Miss You, Laura!

2008-07-02T10:30:00.003-04:00

Last Friday my good friend, Laura, moved from our area back up to New England to be closer to her family. Claire and I miss her already. She has been a faithful friend to me, encouraging me in my faith and in my walk with God. We will keep her in our prayers as she starts this new chapter in her life. We're REALLY excited to go and visit her in September!!

Streams of Mercy

2008-07-01T07:50:00.003-04:00

From Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, July 1 Morning Meditation...

"In summer and in winter shall it be."—Zechariah 14:8.

The streams of living water which flow from Jerusalem are not dried up by the parching heats of sultry midsummer any more than they were frozen by the cold winds of blustering winter. Rejoice, O my soul, that thou art spared to testify of the faithfulness of the Lord. The seasons change and thou changest, but thy Lord abides evermore the same, and the streams of His love are as deep, as broad and as full as ever. The heats of business cares and scorching trials make me need the cooling influences of the river of His grace; I may go at once and drink to the full from the inexhaustible fountain, for in summer and in winter it pours forth its flood. The upper springs are never scanty, and blessed be the name of the Lord, the nether springs cannot fail either. Elijah found Cherith dry up, but Jehovah was still the same God of providence. Job said his brethren were like deceitful brooks, but he found his God an overflowing river of consolation. The Nile is the great confidence of Egypt, but its floods are variable; our Lord is evermore the same. By turning the course of the Euphrates, Cyrus took the city of Babylon, but no power, human or infernal, can divert the current of divine grace. The tracks of ancient rivers have been found all dry and desolate, but the streams which take their rise on the mountains of divine sovereignty and infinite love shall ever be full to the brim. Generations melt away, but the course of grace is unaltered. The river of God may sing with greater truth than the brook in the poem—

"Men may come, and men may go,
But I go on for ever."

How happy art thou, my soul, to be led beside such still waters! never wander to other streams, lest thou hear the Lord's rebuke, "What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt to drink of the muddy river?"

First Official Beach Trip of the Summer

2008-06-30T22:13:00.010-04:00

It's hard to believe this is my first post since May, and it is yet another post about a beach trip. What can I say, Claire and I just love the beach! Those of you who know us best know that that is only half true. :) We spent 6 days at Bethany Beach with Justin's family last week, but Claire had more fun in the pool than at the beach. There were dolphins in the water, pelicans flying over, and sailboats sailing, but Claire missed it all because she was too afraid to even look in the direction of the waves. She did, however, play in the sand a little, but we had to bring buckets of water up to the dry sand because the wet sand was too close to the waves to play in. Here are some pictures of our trip.

All in Stripes!

Grammy will keep you safe!

Ahh, now this is much better!

Daddy and Claire on the Carousel at Rehoboth's Boardwalk.

Seashell Nose!

The "Remsnyder" Children (and their children). This picture contains only nine of the eighteen total family members present for the beach trip. Not all of us were there for the whole week, but needless to say, it was a full house! We had a great time with you all!!

Weekend at the Beach - Part Two

2008-05-20T15:04:00.013-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posting. Life seems to be running away from me these days. Anyway, back to the story about our weekend at the beach. Saturday night we all celebrated my dad's birthday. Here are some pictures.

Claire helping Pap open a present they can use together: Fun Golf!

Aunt Stacy feeding Claire a yummy bite of chocolate cake with peanut butter icing:

Sunday morning started early for Claire and I - 4:30 to be exact. I don't know why Claire decided to wake up that early, but despite all of my best efforts, I couldn't convince her to go back so sleep, and so started our day. Most people who know me know that I LOVE sleep (a little too much at times). Therefore, I was not functioning quite well that day. However, we still managed to have a little fun. Here is Claire and Aunt Stacy with a bubble gun:

We finally ventured to the beach (I know, the whole reason why we went away for the weekend). Not knowing how Claire was going to like the beach - especially the sand, we walked down to the beach with our sandcastle molds and shovel. Surprisingly, Claire loved it! Every previous beach trip was a bust because she hated the sand. She would refuse to even stand on it. However, she finally decided to turn the corner and accept that the beach is fun afterall. Here are the pictures to prove it:

Mom, Dad, Erica, Tim, Claire, & Allie (Debbie, Stacy, and Jimmy not pictured):

Sunday afternoon and evening, everyone left for home except Debbie, Claire and I. So the three of us went to a fun playground Sunday evening.

Weekend at the Beach - Part One

2008-05-10T14:36:00.011-04:00

Last weekend, we took a trip to the beach with my family to celebrate my dad's birthday and also just to get away and have some fun. :) We went to Stone Harbor, NJ (where we always go) and stayed at my step-aunt and uncle's house. Saturday, we went to the Cape May County Zoo, which was awesome, because the cooler weather meant a lot of the animals were out and active. The only disappointment was that we hoped to see some Kookaburras, and they weren't in their cages. We explained to Claire that the Kookaburras must be on vacation, like we were. I said that maybe they took a vacation to Harrisburg and tried to visit us, but we weren't home either. She accepted the answer and we moved on. To see why we were so interested in the Kookaburras, click here.

Here are some pictures from the zoo.

This camel looked like it was about to spit, so I quickly took the picture and ran away!

After the zoo, we went into "town" in Stone Harbor to check out a boat show and seafood festival. Claire took some interest in a few of the boats. Thankfully, they were on the lower end cost-wise (compared to the $50,000 speedboats).

Mr. 'Tato Head

2008-04-29T14:34:00.003-04:00

One of Claire's best "spuds," oops, I mean buds, is Mr. Potato Head, or "Mr. 'Tato Head" as Claire calls him. She loves dressing him up in all sorts of different ways. It's a lot of fun for me, too, because I can reminisce back to my own Mr. Potato Head playing days. Today, she decided to dress him up with some beautiful red earrings (even though Mr. 'Tato Head is a boy) and purple bunny slippers. She even fixed him something to eat for lunch - hot dogs! Here is a picture of Claire and her beloved friend.

I'm Back

2008-04-27T22:57:00.006-04:00

Due to a hard drive crash and other unfortunate events, I have been unable to update my blog for quite a while. Thanks for your patience, bloggers.

As I start back up again, I want to post a short section of Scripture that is on my heart a lot lately. Part of it is that I am currently teaching this one to Claire, but I also need these verses every moment of every day.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

My sinful heart is not bent toward obeying these verses. In fact, I have lately found myself complaining regularly, neglecting to pray, and wishing my circumstances were different. But this is the exact opposite of what God has called me to do. His will for my life is to follow these verses. How on earth am I to do them?

Three simple and beautiful words, "in Christ Jesus" is where I find my answer. It is only because of the cross of Christ that I can find God's grace to obey his word. I could never bring myself to rejoice in God and truly praise him if it weren't for Jesus dying on the cross and being raised. I could never approach God with my prayers without Christ's costly sacrifice. Any expression of thanks to God from my lips or heart leads straight back to Calvary.

"Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!"

Claire's A

2008-03-17T10:14:00.004-04:00

This morning, Claire called out to me, "Mommy, I made an A!" She's been really into her letters lately. She knows all of the upper case letters, and has just started asking about the lower case letters, too. I told her to bring me her A, and here it is. Pretty good for a 2-year old, I think.

"What 'Cuz?"

2008-03-09T21:25:00.002-04:00

Ah, yes. The "why" questions began today, or the Claire version, "what 'cuz?"
As in, "Can we watch Sesame Street after I take a bath?"
"No," replies Mommy, "Sesame Street isn't on tonight because it's Sunday."
Claire asks, "What 'cuz?"
"Do you mean, "Why?" asks Mommy.
"Yeah," replies Claire.
Yes, the dreaded day has arrived. Now I will be searching for answers as I am questioned on probably everything I say. On the plus side, it is amazing to see Claire's mind growing and learning as she searches for the answers of the universe - or at least why PBS doesn't air Sesame Street seven days a week.

More Silly Claire Sayings and A Trip to the Zoo

2008-03-03T20:57:00.006-05:00

The other day I was getting ready to go to a baby shower, and I decided to spend a little more time on my hair than usual. I usually straighten it and curl it under, but I curled it a little more this time. As soon as I was finished, Claire looked up at me and said, "Mommy, your hair is all messy."

Just this morning, Claire came walking out of the bathroom with a book in her hand saying, "Mommy, my book is all wet." Since she was walking out of the bathroom, I was a little concerned. Looking at the book and seeing that in fact, the cover of the book was very wet, I asked, "How did the book get all wet?" Claire's response was, "I got 'bless-yous' all over it." I asked, "Do you mean you sneezed on it?" "Yeah, I sneezed on it." I was quite relieved that the book didn't come in contact with any toilet water, but still pretty amazed that she had that big of a sneeze - it was really wet!

Later, Claire declared out of the blue, "I'm so glad!" "What are you so glad about?" I asked. Claire exclaimed, "Your hair!" (Maybe she was glad I didn't curl it the way I did the other day.)

We also took advantage of the nice weather today and took a trip to the zoo. We packed a picnic lunch to eat while we were there. Here are a few pictures from our trip.

Claire eating her lunch...

Tom Turkey...

Claire and a Goose hiding under the bridge...

Prairie Dog...

Adventure in the Snow

2008-02-22T14:49:00.006-05:00

Claire and I set out on an adventure today to Turkey Hill! I know, very exciting. It is much more exciting when you're two and think that the only reason to go to Turkey Hill is for gummi bears. Knowing that Claire is not very fond of snow, I talked to her first to see whether we should just drive the two blocks or if she would be brave enough to walk. I knew she'd get pretty heavy in all of her snow gear. But, she seemed really excited about walking in the snow to Turkey Hill. So, we geared up (which took a good amount of time).

Okay, all set to go. As I'm openning the back door, Claire starts saying, "I don't like the snow. I'm scared to walk in the snow!" Hmmm.....maybe I should have just drove. So, we set out and I try to encourage her to walk since there wasn't much snow on the sidewalk, but she insists on my carrying her. It went fine on the way there (although my arms were getting pretty tired), but I was really concerned about the way back since the real reason for going to Turkey Hill was to get some milk. I'm trying to picture myself carrying Claire in one hand and milk in the other, and getting more and more tired by the second. Well, we arrived at Turkey Hill, and I convinced Claire to walk in the parking lot. I think she was so excited to be there that it didn't matter to her anymore that she was walking. We picked up a 1/2 gallon of milk (I was going to buy a whole gallon, but I thought I'd give myself a break) and the all important bag of gummi bears, and set off for home again. After about a half block, I had a little talk with Claire, explaining that walking on the sidewalk was just like walking in the parking lot at Turkey Hill. That didn't convince her. Then I resorted to bribery and told her that she could have some chocolate milk if she walked the rest of the way home. That did it!

She walked the rest of the way home, and enjoyed a cup of warm chocolate milk when we got there!! Here's the real prize, though...

Here's another good snow picture...

Happy Birthday, Jimmy!

2008-02-21T10:45:00.005-05:00

Today is the birthday of a very special guy. We hope you have a great day, Jimmy!

My Little "Helper"

2008-02-20T17:11:00.003-05:00

As Claire and I were getting ready to go somewhere today, Claire noticed that I didn't have my socks on yet. I asked her if she would like to pick out a pair for me. I told her to pick out a brown pair. After a few incorrect attempts to find the sock drawer, she finally found some. She came back with a black pair, however. Finally, she (with a little help) found a brown pair that would work. Then she asked me if she could help me put on my socks. Here is a picture of Claire "helping me put my socks on."

A Glimpse into the Mind of Claire Bear

2008-02-19T22:53:00.002-05:00

My daughter says and does some of the most interesting things sometimes. I know a lot of it has to do with the fact that she is a 2-year old. Every day I'm excited to hear what she'll come up with next.

A week or so ago, I was vacumming the bedrooms in our home, and since Claire is not a fan of the vacuum cleaner, she decided to stay in her room with the door closed while I worked in the other rooms. I can almost always predict what she will say when she hears that the vacuum is turned off - "You all done, Mommy?" Not this time. She came out of her room as soon as I was finished and said, "Hi...I missed you." The inflection in her voice made her sound like a good friend I hadn't seen in years.

Another time I thought I could predict what she would say was when she asked me for a snack shortly after we had just finished eating. I told her that it wasn't time for a snack right now, and braced myself for the outburst of tears and anger. Her only reply was, "I just had a banana, silly!" like she realized she didn't need a snack and it was ridiculous to her that she had asked for one in the first place.

Just today, Claire told me, "I smell like popcorn." She doesn't like popcorn, and hasn't been around any for quite some time. I asked her why she smelled like popcorn, and her reply was, "Because I'm going to BE popcorn." Oh...okay

Last night, I was organizing some things while she was playing in her room. She came up to me and asked, "Mommy, what would you like to have for Christmas?" I replied, "I don't know." She asked, "A doggie?" I replied, "No, not really." She insisted, "Yeah, you want a doggie." She handed me her Pound Puppy and said, "Here's your doggie!"

Lastly, the other day I was putting makeup on in the bathroom, and Claire had found some chapstick (which she loves to put on herself). She was liberally applying her chapstick to her lips when she said, "If we put this on our eyes, we can see a hawk!" She is somewhat of a birdwatcher, by the way. I just laughed and made sure that she didn't actually put chapstick in her eyes.

Well, that's all for now. I'm sure there will be more silliness to come from my little creative wonder.

Christmas and Snow Fun

2008-01-09T15:40:00.000-05:00

Okay, I honestly didn't mean to forget about my blog for this long. Sorry, for those who were checking for an update only to be disappointed again and again. Hopefully you haven't given up on me altogether.

Christmas was a very busy time, as it is every year. But there's something unique about Christmas with a 2-year old. It was definitely a lot of fun, but it means not quite being able to do all that I could have before. Or at least what I do looks a lot different - baking cookies, for example, and decorating cookies especially, comes with the artistic flare of my Claire bear. One cookie she decorated I refer to as the "Ruby Pig." It was obviously shaped like a pig (not a typical shape we use this time of year, but it came with her new baking set so we had to use it), and she tried to shake the red sugar container but ended up holding it in mid-air as the sugar poured out onto the cookie in a mound. Trying to shake most of it into the trash, the entire pig was coated in red sugar. Thus we have the Ruby Pig. Nobody wanted to eat that one.

Here is Claire decorating cookies after we changed the method...

Christmas Day was good - we spent the day itself in four different homes, which made for a bit of a hectic day, but it was still good. I always joke that we run around like chickens with our heads cut off on Christmas day, but I am so thankful that we have family so close by and that we can see them all in one day. It is a blessing. It just makes you need your rest when the day is done. :)

Claire when she first came down the stairs and saw the presents under the tree...

Claire enjoying a chocolate lollipop from her stocking and Mommy in the background...

Claire, anxiously waiting for Daddy to take her new baby doll out of her packaging. By the way, she named her "Barbecue Sauce." And after naming her new doll, she decided to name her old baby doll "Ketchup," since she hadn't named her yet.

Claire, sitting in front of the tree at my parents' house...

Snow Day...

One day between Christmas and New Years (all of those days ran together for me) we got some snow. It wasn't a lot, but it gave us a chance to use Claire's new snow boots that she got for Christmas. At least, that's what I thought. She screamed and screamed when it came time for her to stand on her own two feet in the snow. I've never seen a child so afraid of the snow!! We got her sled out so she wouldn't have to walk in the snow, and that calmed her down a bit.

Then I asked her if she wanted to help Mommy make a snowman. Her reply was, "Mommy do it." So, Frosty was created by Mommy while Claire sat on the front porch step where she wasn't in any danger of coming in contact with the snow. Finally, when Frosty was complete, I asked Claire if she would like to stand - not walk - in the snow right next to Frosty so I could take a picture of her. She replied a quiet, "Yeah."

The One Who Holds Everything in His Hands

2007-11-26T15:43:00.000-05:00

"who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him." - 1 Peter 3:22

This verse is obviously speaking of Jesus. The one of whom it is said, "Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. " Recently I have been in fear for my future - not knowing what it holds for me, and not wanting hardship for myself but especially not for Claire. The truth is that none of know what tomorrow holds, but I can cling to the word of God, and the fact that ALL of my days (and Claire's days) have been planned by him. If hardship does come, which is entirely plausible in this life, it is because he has allowed it to come. If angels, authorties, and powers are all subjected to him, then NOTHING can reach me that he hasn't pre-ordained. And because I know his love for me is sure, steadfast, and unchanging, everything I face in life - even the most difficult trial - is laced with love from above.

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." This is the truth on which I stand. I have no reason to fear anything in this life when God, the creator and sustainer of the universe, who has planned every single one of my days, can in his infinite power and might cause all my trouble and pain, and even my own foolish choices and failures, to result in good. This verse also says that I am called "according to his purpose." He has a purpose for me, and he will do all he must to fulfill it.

My heart sings in praises to him for his unfailing love and sovereign power over his creation.

But I Don't Want To Go To Bed!!

2007-11-17T10:29:00.000-05:00

Last night Claire and I went to stay with her cousins, Gabi and Isabella, so their mommy and daddy could go out on a date. We had a lot of fun playing, singing, dancing, giggling, and so forth. She was very tired after playing so hard and we were going to make it home just in time for bed. What Claire didn't know was that I had plans after we got home (and she went to bed) to watch Ratatouille with both my sisters and parents. It isn't every day that both my sisters are at the same place at the same time for Claire to enjoy, including my younger sister's boyfriend and very large dog. So when we pulled up at the house and she saw their cars, she got VERY excited. I was a little concerned for how bedtime was going to go. I mean think about it, how would you feel if you got home right at bed time with a house full of people you love to have around but don't see very often who are all sitting down to watch what looks like a really fun movie and you have to go RIGHT to bed??!!??!! I felt really bad for her. So after several attempts to lay down and several cries for more water, and other such bedtime stalling ploys, I finally let her snuggle on my lap while we watched one of the "shorts" before we started the movie itself. After the short, we had to actually turn the TV off and pretend the movie was over so she would agree to go to bed. I hear from onlookers that the look on her face while she was sitting on my lap read something like, "He he, look at me, I got Mommy to let me watch the movie with all the grownups."

A Refuge in the Day of My Distress

2007-11-12T07:58:00.000-05:00

"But I will sing of your strength;I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love." - Psalm 59: 16-17

Claire & Bella

2007-11-08T14:35:00.001-05:00

Claire's cousin, Isabella, came to stay with us for two days this week so her mommy and daddy could get away for their anniversary. Claire and Bella had so much fun playing with each other. It was so nice for Claire to have a playmate since she is usually left to playing with her much less imaginative and energized mom. These two make such a cute little pair!!

Trick-or-Treat!

2007-10-29T14:53:00.000-04:00

I thought this year for Halloween Claire could dress up as a butterfly since she LOVES butterflies. I asked her about a month or so ago if she'd like to be a butterfly, and she said, "Yeah." However, whenever anyone else asked her what she was going to be for Halloween, she'd say, "A ladybug." I have no idea where she came up with this ladybug idea, but I asked her if she'd rather be a ladybug or a butterfly, and she said, "ladybug." So, I made her a ladybug costume. Last Thursday morning (we were going Trick-or Treating Thursday night) she started crying and saying, "I want to be a butterfly!" After working hard on a ladybug costume, I tried to appease her by saying that she'll have to be a ladybug tonight, but if she wanted to, she could be a butterfly tomorrow. That seemed to calm her down, and I didn't hear anything about a butterfly after that. Here are some pictures of my little ladybug...

Going through her loot with Mimi...

Playing a balloon relay race with Daddy...

Gummi worm eating contest: Everyone's a winner!

Get Ready, Get Set...

Go!!!

I can't post Halloween pictures without including this picture of my adorable nieces, Gabi and Isabella, or should I say Cookie Monster and Elmo...

Our Trip to Stone Harbor

2007-10-23T11:45:00.000-04:00

Claire and I went to Stone Harbor, N.J. with our family this past weekend. The beach is so beautiful this time of year. Here is a picture of Claire and Pap on the beach.

We saw a lot of beautiful birds including a great blue heron, snowy white egrets, even bald eagles! Thanks to my parents, we know what we're looking at. :) There were also tons of beautiful butterflies flying around. It was so relaxing and refreshing. My sister and her boyfriend found an awesome playground for Claire to enjoy. Here are some picture of her at the playground.

It's Pumpkin Time!

2007-10-08T20:01:00.000-04:00

Even though it doesn't feel like it these days, fall is finally here! I love fall - apple cider, pumpkins, baking pies, beautiful autumn leaves. It is by far my favorite season of the year. We went to an orchard the other day to pick out a pumpkin for Claire. Here is a picture of her by the biggest pumpkin they had. (No, we didn't buy this one for her. )

Ephesians 6:1

2007-10-05T11:37:00.000-04:00

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." -Ephesians 6:1

Random Comments by Claire

2007-10-01T16:18:00.001-04:00

Today we were riding home from the store, and Claire and I had a few very interesting conversations. They went like this:

Claire: There's a brown bus
Allie: Where? (Didn't see any other cars, trucks, or buses on the road)
Claire: There's a brown bus in the tree

Claire: I want to sit in the back seat
Allie: You are sitting in the back seat.
Claire: No, I want to sit in the back seat (pointing to the front seat).
Allie: Oh, you mean you want to sit in the front seat?
Claire: Yeah.
Allie: Well, you can't sit in the the front seat while Mommy's driving because it's against the law.
Claire: (trying to repeat Mommy) I can't sit next to the law.
Allie: laughing, No, you can't sit next to the law.
Claire: Where's the law?
Allie: speechless

Claire: (grabbing at her ear) I want to hold my ear.
Allie: Okay, you can hold your ear.
Claire: I want to take it off.
Allie: You can't take your ear off, sweetie.
Claire: I want to hold my ear.
Allie: You can hold it while it's on your head, but you can't take it off.
Claire: smiling and apparently satisfied with my answer

Reasoning with a 2-year old is quite interesting. I recommend it to everyone.

Pony Ride

2007-10-01T16:08:00.001-04:00

Claire, Justin, and I went to an apple festival on Saturday, and they had pony rides. We weren't sure if Claire would be scared or not, but we tried it anyway. She loved it!! We actually did it twice! We didn't get any good pictures from the front, which is unfortunate, because she was beaming the entire time!

Justin took her by himself the first time, and I stayed back and watched. We both decided to go along the second time, and Justin warned me to watch where I step. Well...I tried to do that, but I got so caught up in the moment of Claire enjoying the ride that ~~~SQUISH~~~ yep, you guessed it, I stepped in a HUGE pile of pony poop! Fortunately, my shoes didn't have too much of a tread, and it worked its way out pretty quickly.

Learning to be Pruned

2007-09-26T15:16:00.000-04:00

I read an excellent chapter from the book Biblical Womanhood in the Home titled "Pruned to Bloom," by P. Bunny Wilson. The chapter as well as the rest of the book can be read for free on the website http://www.cbmw.org/. The link to this specific chapter is

http://www.cbmw.org/images/onlinebooks/biblical_womanhood/pruned_to_bloom.pdf

Here is an excerpt from the chapter:

"Since you have given your heart to Jesus,

are you sweeter? Do you make a sincere

attempt to do what is right? Hopefully the

answer to these questions is yes. However,

even with all your efforts and growth, have

you arrived? Are you where He wants you

to be? The answer to that question is no.

The fact that you have not reached perfection
means you will be pruned—regularly. Like

that old grape branch, we need to come to

the place where we willingly surrender

ourselves to be pruned, as uncomfortable as

that may be. As the old grape branch would

say to the young grape branch, 'Remember,

you’re just being pruned to bloom!'"

Claire's Recent Birthday

2007-09-24T15:09:00.000-04:00

My little Claire-Bear just turned two a few weeks ago, and here are some pictures of her birthday.

From Mourning to Dancing

2007-09-24T10:19:00.000-04:00

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!" - Psalm 30: 11-12

As I read these verses this morning, I was reminded of just how much he has changed my life. My sin has been my biggest problem, and Christ took the punishment for my sin on the cross. Therefore, my biggest problem has been solved, my greatest need has been met by the sacrifice of one. Because of this, no matter what I face in life, whether I am in drought or in plenty, whether life on this earth is happy or sad for me, I can rejoice in the God of my salvation. He has indeed turned for me my mourning into dancing.

My First Post

2007-09-22T22:24:00.001-04:00

Well, after being asked a few times, "Have you decided to start a blog yet?," I finally decided to go ahead with it. I've titled it "The Many Adventures of Allie-Cat and Claire-Bear" because my name is Allie and my adorable (no, I'm not biased) daughter's name is Claire. Together, we do have a lot of adventures. After all, she is a two-year old, and that in itself is an adventure. Although Claire will provide much entertainment to my readers, I hope to also include some content on what is MOST interesting in our lives - the person and work of Jesus Christ. Seven years ago my life was forever changed when God gave me the gift of faith in his Son, and since then it has been the most exciting relationship I have ever been a part of - including my precious daughter. So, I pray that this blog not only provides some laughs, but that it will also be a place to find comfort, refreshment, and encouragement in the midst of this crazy world we live in.