Visitors and Parents' Night Out

This week was extra great because Figgy came in town on Thursday and the Gilberts came in town on Saturday!  Though their visits did not overlap, we had a wildly fun time with both.  Figgy was able to babysit the babe while Pete and I hit the town on Friday night -- the latest we've been out since Susannah was born!  One of our friends is in a band, so a group of us went to see him play; and the show didn't begin until 10:00.  Needless to say, we made it to bed at about 2am that night.  But it was a lot of fun and a much-needed outing for us homebody parents.

The Gilberts' visit was particularly fun because Susannah is obsessed with her cousins!  She loves watching the big girls play and is enamored with Baby Nathanael.  She very much enjoys the company of other kids and babies, especially ones who are as fun-loving as those four.  We are so thankful to live relatively close to them so day trips are always an option!

We are in Harrisonburg for the rest of the week and are excited about more family time.  Pete has a conference close by, so it works out that Susannah and I can go, too.

Pictures!

Susannah was introduced to a baby bunny, and this is how much she liked it.

Before our night out.  Look at that baby girl's smirk!

I hope there weren't any recipes in those magazines that you can't find online....

"Hey, give me that phone!"

Shoey loved having Charis crawl into bed with her after her nap!

Look at that handsome Nathanael!

Snuggling with the girlies.  Hannie is passed out.

A regular bookworm, eating all the pages.

Somebody was snuggling with Daddy and got caught in the act!

Safaris, Teaching, and More Teeth

Last week was wild and crazy as we headed into a Jungle Safari in search of a priceless treasure!  That was the theme of our church's VBS, and I was the kids' fearless leader, Safari Sal.  It was my job to get the kids super hyped up every night through singing, dancing, playing, and just plain-old being silly!  And if you know me at all, you know this is right up my alley.  I had a ball, especially when I realized the kids were going to treat me like a friggin celebrity.  Nothing like a boost to the ol' ego....from a bunch of 5-year-olds...

Pete's mowing hat + Pete's female coworker's VDGIF shirt + South African beads + random bandana + old camp counselor shorts + wool socks + winter boots = Safari Sal.  (I had to wear winter boots because I don't own work boots [yet] and apparently neither does any other woman I know in our general area.  I didn't think the kids would know the difference...but they did: "Safari Sal, are those winter boots?  Are your feet hot?"  Yes and yes, little one.)

I was also offered an ACCESS class last week, so I've been working my tail off getting that set up.  It's Creative Writing again, which is great, and I am pumped about having an outlet that lets me kind-of do my teaching thang again and getting that extra money.

Susannah has SIX teeth now!  She was teething pretty bad early last week (drooling like crazy, runny nose, fussing, etc.), and sure enough, two new teeth broke through on Thursday.  She now has 4 straight across the top and her two bottom ones.

Pics!

Pete and Susannah came up one night, and I asked Pete, aka Mr. Safari Sal, if he would read our bible verse.  The kids called him Mr. Safari Sal for the remainder of the week!

With Susannah, some of the kids, and the nicest lady at our church Beverly.  The little boy on my left told his mom he wanted to dress like me with boots, shorts, and a safari shirt.  It made my night!

The only way I can sneak in some snuggles is by opening a book.

Couch time is always entertaining.  Here, Susannah is resting (seriously) between clamoring for pens off the side table  and burying her face in the cushions.

There Have Been Events

One event that is more notable to me than to anyone else is that I finished a journal!  Pete laughed at my dramatic enthusiasm and sentimentality about this feat (I may have been playing it up a bit for his entertainment), but man, if you're a journal-er, you know what I'm saying: it is SO fun to finish one "season" and move on to the next.  And it is especially fun to look back at the things written in the just-finished journal.  Many answered prayers; many, many signs of God's faithfulness.  I began that journal last summer when we moved to Chesapeake, so it has been neat to look back at my prayers for friends, a healthy baby, a church family, a home, etc. and see just how the Lord orchestrated all of that.  Who knows what the next journal holds!

Another event that is just as dramatic but not nearly as happy is that we're now down to only 4 chickens.  We let our chickens roam free, so we always knew there was a chance of a dog, snake, fox, or some other thing that likes to get after chickens would one day get after ours.  Saturday morning was that sad day, so now we only have our 4 Barred Rock hens (the speckled ones).  I liked our rooster and our other buff hen, so I was a little down when I discovered what happened (Pete was working in Richmond); but it was nothing a few afternoon shots of tequila couldn't cure.  Oh come on, I'm kidding.  I got over it the old-fashioned way and told myself to suck it up.  And I did.

Baby events for this week included another tooth!  I'm trying to teach her the art of closed-mouth smiling though because she looks a little snaggle-toothed.  She got one top-middle tooth a couple weeks ago, and the one that came in this week was the lateral-incisor (getting specific here) opposite that tooth.  So she's all gappy, and it looks hilarious.  I'm kidding about the closed-mouth smiling, of course; I'm actually trying to snag some pictures of this goofy grin so I can humble her later in life.  You know, show her she hasn't always been the cutest little thing in the entire world...(but really, she still is).

Here are just a few pictures for ya:

Wearing one of my outfits from when I was a baby

In the nursery at church with all her best friends

She flipped her play mat and turned it into a fort!

This should be the new advertisement for FedEx office: Even the boxes are fun!

Celebration of Suzanne and Susannah!

Today we celebrate two important ladies: my mother (Susannah's namesake) turned 29 for the 10th-ish year in a row, and Susannah turned 9 months old!  I can't believe I'm currently the age that my mom told me she was every year (and I totally believed until I was 10); I guess it's time for me to carry on the tradition.  I hope that I age as well as my mom has because that lady looks as young as ever!  People still ask if she's my sister when we're out and about...amazing.  Love you, Mama!

As for Susannah, she had her nine-month checkup this morning and is doing great.  She's just over 18 pounds, which has brought her up to the 52nd percentile!  And ever since she started crawling, her little disposition has transitioned to the most content, happy babe in the entire world.  Pete and I truly feel like we've arrived because of just how laid back and smiley this girl has become.  What a fun age!

Pics!

This is what greets us after naps now!  I just can't even handle that cute face.

Her favorite thing to do.

Baby selfie!

Videos!

She LOVES this bear:

Daddy's new game: