Latest Kate

Dear Kate,

I can't believe you will be two soon. With Daddy very busy at work this week, you and I got to spend a lot of quality time together. Here are some things that I think are special about you right now:

• You love to laugh. You get the giggles and I love to see your eyes squint in laughter.
• You still love bananas. Well, you love most fruit. Today we went to an Asian buffet after church and all you ate were oranges.
• You want to do everything yourself. You get so frustrated when you can't do something on your own. You are very independent.
• You love music and singing.
• You're learning so many new things. You like to count. We think it's especially cute that you say "sevenyoo" instead of "seven" which may be a combination of the number 7 and the letter W. I can't bring myself to correct you. It's just way too cute.
• You still love Elmo! I thought you might be over him by now, but you can't seem to get enough. I think an Elmo-themed birthday party might be in your future.
• You don't seem to understand that you're about to be a big sister, but I know you're going to be great at it. John Parker is going to love you. I can't wait to watch you teach him things and make him laugh too.

Chilling out, probably watching Elmo :)

Ready for church this morning. So grown-up!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

Last night, the New Orleans Saints beat the Vikings in overtime to go to their first ever Super Bowl. What an exciting time in Louisiana!! We watched most of the game at some friends' home, but we were home for the fourth quarter and overtime. We could hear fireworks going off throughout our neighborhood, kids playing outside at 10 p.m. There was excitement in the air. I thought about how neat it is that God allowed us to be in Louisiana for such an exciting time. Then I couldn't help but think about some other amazing things He's allowed us to experience here. I thought back to the days following Katrina and hearing (instead of fireworks) helicopters fly over our house toward New Orleans all day long. New Orleans has truly been at its worst and best during our time here. And like any city or country that experiences triumph or tragedy, people are quick to attribute both to God's favor. When Katrina happened, some people said God was punishing New Orleans for its corporate sins. Now you hear people talking about God's favor. Don't get me wrong. Maybe God is a Saints fan :) But maybe we all just experience joy and sadness in this life. And it's not because we are more or less deserving, or because God loves us more than the next person or city. In Matthew 5:45, we are told that God "causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and send his rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Praise the Lord. I don't know about you, but I find myself in the latter category a lot more often than the first. And I know I sure want to be in that number....When the Saints go marching in! Who Dat!!

Getting ready for John Parker

The days are winding down until our little family expands again. We are getting ready. I've got John Parker's bedding all washed and on the crib. I need to pack a bag this weekend for the hospital. I go back to the doctor next Thursday for an ultrasound to see how big he is.

When we were in Florida, I got to co-host a baby shower for one of my best friends, Amy, with Mollie. We've been friends forever! We were all maids of honor in each other's weddings. Amy is due a couple of weeks before me, so we'll see how close in date her little girl and John Parker end up arriving. We had so much fun at the shower and they surprised me afterward with a shower for us. It was a sweet surprise.

This past weekend, some of our friends in Baton Rouge through a shower for us. We don't really need any baby gear at this point, but we got a lot of cute boy clothes. It was a lot of fun!

Shower hostesses - Natalie, Becky, Kati and J.Jaye

Kate all ready for church on Sunday

Christmas 2009

We just returned from two weeks of fun with family in Florida. It is good to be home, but we are missing them already! Here's a recap of our trip. On our way to Florida, we stopped in Santa Rosa Beach and visited with my Aunt Linda and cousins Laura and Susan. That was so much fun. We spent the first week in the Gainesville area with my parents and the second week in Eustis with Fred's family.

Start 'em young, raise 'em right in a golfing family.

Fun on the merry-go-round

Sliding with Dottie.

Four generations of Jarrell ladies (Kathie or "Dottie," Great Gram, Kate and myself)

Conched out on Dottie and Ditto's couch.

Watching Elmo with Ditto. He might start showing Elmo at the barbershop!

Playing ball with Uncle Dave.

Playing with Aunt Lisa.

On the playground with Uncle Earl. You can see, despite the cold temps, we found and explored every playground in Central Florida.

Pebbles and the dinosaur.

Swinging with Granny.

Having some Chex Mix with Aunt Lee.

Resting with Cousin Sig.

A 4:30 a.m. queso dip post

So, it's 4:30 a.m. and I just woke from a deep sleep and felt led by the Lord to get up and write this. As I type, I am still not even sure what I am writing, but I just feel like God has given me something to say to you early this morning. Last night, we went to eat at a nearby Mexican restaurant with some good friends of ours. We hadn't been at the restaurant long before Kate's face was covered in queso dip. She loves to dip anything in the queso and lick it off (including the restaurant-provided crayons). Any of you who've been around small children know that part of meal time is cleaning the little ones up after they eat. We always keep wipes in our diaper bag, knowing that Kate will make a mess when we go out. No big deal. As much as I love Kate (and it's a whole, whole lot), I usually want to clean her little face up before I give her hugs and kisses. I don't want all that queso to get all over me, you know. I am struck by the difference between myself and my Lord, Jesus Christ. His love for us is so deep and so wide, that he comes to us when we are our dirtiest and messiest and he hugs us and loves on us right then and there. He doesn't wait for us to get cleaned up and present ourselves with perfection before He offers His love.

As we get ready to begin 2010, if you don't know this love I write about this morning, I encourage you to seek God out in 2010. In Acts 17:27, Paul is in Athens speaking to some of the religious leaders. He tells them that he has seen their altars built to many Gods; He knows they are religious. He tells them he even saw an altar to "an unknown God." Paul goes on to say that "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands" (v. 24). Paul is drawing a distinction here, showing them and us that Jesus Christ is not a far-away God to whom we build altars, but who we can't really know. In one of my favorite verses in the Bible, Paul says "God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us" (v. 27). Our God is near to us. He pursues us. If we accept the sacrifice of Christ and His forgiveness and love, He stands ready to love on us - queso dip and all. He stands ready to give us peace we don't understand and mercy we don't deserve. There is no greater gift. For all of who we love near and far, I wish this peace and mercy for you with all of my heart in 2010.

There's just something about that name

Sunday morning, Kate was in the back of the house with Fred and I was in the kitchen. I could hear him getting ready for church and singing a familiar song, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus....There's just something about that name..." When he got to the end of the chorus, he said "Kate, your turn." She paused for a moment and then, in a voice that rang out throughout the house, she shouted "Jesus" at the top of her lungs. It was so funny. I just listened to their little duet from the kitchen and laughed. What a beautiful reminder of why we celebrate Christmas. The name of Jesus is an amazing name. Our celebration of his birth, life, death and resurrection should be exuberant. I guess that's why He said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Luke 18:17)

Twas the week before Christmas...

My students did a campaign this semester for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to help kids and their families prepare for natural disasters. They created a really neat board game for kids to play in schools to learn about storms. They were asked to present their campaign to a congressional committee last Thursday. It was so neat to be there and watch them. They did a great job!

On Friday, Fred and I went to Kate's school Christmas party. These are a few of her classmates. We learned that Cheetos are good to dip in just about anything, including cupcake frosting.

Ready for church this morning. This is pretty much the gist of our Christmas decorations.

I got this dress for Kate to grow into, so you'll probably see it again at Valentine's Day, Fourth of July, etc. :)