Sick, Spoons and Sign Language

Emet has been battling a fever since Monday evening. He ran a low grade fever Monday night and Tuesday morning. When he woke up from his nap on Tuesday, his fever spiked at 102.4. I called the doctor and they wanted us to come in. We made the trip to see Dr. Ryan in Wake Forest. Dr. Ryan checked his ears, throat and even did a blood test to see if there was an infection anywhere. There were no signs of infection and he was only diagnosed with a fever (probably from a virus, which there is nothing he can take to treat a virus). He has been on Motrin (for the fever) and has been a little more fussy than normal. We are praying his fever will subside and that no one else will get sick! Good news from the doctor though...they weighed him and he is up to 16 pounds and 12 ounces. He has gained 1 1/2 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks! Yay!
This morning he made an attempt to use a spoon himself. It was cute so I had to catch it on camera. He did okay...but still has a long way to go before he is feeding himself. We will keep practicing!
He has also started using the sign for "more." It looks more like a clap than the actual sign for more, but we understand what he means and when he does it, he of course gets more!

Using a spoon!

She had to get in on the camera action too!

"More"

Crusin'

Emet pulled up and started standing yesterday! We are getting ready for him to start crusin' around! Check out his pants...he is about to lose them!

A for Ava (and apple and Asheton)

On Tuesday Ava and I were working on her letters. She has a long way to go, but is recognizing a couple of them. She has been able to recognize her name for a while now. She can tell you that you spell her name A-v-a. On Tuesday, she wrote a for the first time! I was so excited and proud of her! She also told me that A is for Ava, apple and Asheton! So cute!

A for Ava, apple and Asheton

She was so proud!

Olde English Tea Room

We had a nice lunch treat on Monday. After spending the morning at the Richeson's house, we went to the Olde English Tea Room for lunch. Ava and Isaac love having tea parties. So, we thought the Tea Room would be a great place for them to have lunch and a real tea party! We enjoyed our lunch and spending time with our friends! Aren't they cute?

Ava and Isaac

Isaac

Ava

Mighty To Save

As we were driving on Friday, I heard Ava echoing the words to Mighty To Save from the backseat. As she sweetly sang, "My God is Mighty to save, He is Mighty to save," I reflected on the song myself. I was reminded in the midst of celebrating Valentine's Day and showing those around us that we love them, that our God's love for us so much bigger. We often hear John 3:16 quoted "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." I serve a God who's love is truly Mighty To Save.

With all this in mind, we celebrated Valentine's Day as a family. Friday evening we exchanged gifts, had a pancake dinner, took the kids for ice cream (yes, Emet had ice cream) and went to a high school basketball game. Saturday Jon and I enjoyed a night out to ourselves. We went to Southpoint for dinner and a movie. Nana and Papa watched the kids so we could have a special "date night!"

We came in from a morning out on Friday to find this. Jon had gotten us roses and candy. What a surprise!

Jon picked out the kids' Valentine's gifts. Ava got new sippy cups with Lightning McQueen and Mater on them.

Emet got new pacis for Valentine's Day.

Our sweet son!

When we went shopping for Jon's gift, I thought Ava would do a good job at keeping it a secret! We had talked about not telling him and that it was going to be a surprise...she did well at Christmas not telling him what his presents were...so I thought this would be easy. I was wrong! The very day we bought him The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian, Ava let our secret slip. She was proudly telling Daddy about buying new toothpaste at Target. She began to rattle off the other things on the list from that day, one of them being a movie. When Jon said "you got a movie?" She replied, "no, you got a movie." He knew instantly that she had spilled the beans and my great idea of surprising him with this movie was down the drain!

Makes for a cute story though!

She also proceeded to tell him that she had colored him a card...after I told her it was a secret and we shouldn't tell Daddy! I guess we need to work on keeping secrets and surprises!

Jon and Ava with his Valentine's Day "surprise!"

Playing People

When Ava gets quiet, I usually wonder what she is up to! This morning she was unusually quiet and when I looked in her room I found her quite content playing with her people. She loves her Little People and has a bus, plane, carnival, house and town that she enjoys playing with. Her people were having conversations, riding in the bus and plane and even having a party in the house! I couldn't pass up the chance to capture this moment!

Party Time!

(There are a lot of Little People in that house...must be a great party!)

This is a glimpse of everything set up in a "village" of sorts. Ava had a great time playing with her people this morning!

9 Months...Stats, Scooting and Starting Table Food

On Wednesday, we celebrated Emet's nine month mark! It is hard to imagine that he has been with us for nine months. Our time with him has been and will continue to be precious! With his nine month mark has come a couple of mile stones. He has started scooting around. This is his version of crawling. He looks like a little inch worm as he makes his way around our floor to the toys (and remotes) that he is interested in. We also went to his nine month check up. He is slowing gaining weight and getting longer. Right now he weighs 15 pounds and 7 ounces and is 26 1/2 inches long. Dr. Ryan told us to try table food with him and when we got home from his appointment, he had his first few bites of table food for lunch! We are loving this stage, and our little sweetheart!

Nine Months Old

Scooting Around

Carrots and Bananas

Loved It!

Chillin' At The Beech

We had an amazing weekend with our youth! We left Friday afternoon for a weekend ski/snowboard trip with our great youth and wonderful leaders. We arrived at our house, The Old Greer House, in Banner Elk around 8:45 Friday night. After getting settled we enjoyed time in the Word and some "ski and snowboard tips" from Jon and David. Saturday morning came early, and we were loaded up and ready to go up to Beech Mountain at 7:55 a.m. We actually pulled out of the driveway five minutes early. The kids were with us and Cindy watched them at David and Rhonda's house on the slopes...the police had to drive us up there Saturday morning because our church van wouldn't make it up the road! Jon and I hit the slopes on our boards and we loved it! It had been two years since either of us had boarded, so we were excited to be able to enjoy the slopes Saturday. Our youth enjoyed themselves as well. A lot of them had neither skied or boarded, but they took lessons and gave it their best shots! One of our guys broke his wrist on his last run down the mountain, but other than that everyone else was injury free...unless you count REALLY sore muscles as injury! Cindy made some great spaghetti Saturday night for us and we enjoyed Bible Study and games after dinner! Sunday morning we were in the Word again and packed up for the trip home. We went to Hawksnest and tubed on our way home. What fun! Ava got to enjoy tubing as well...she loved it and really enjoyed her last ride down the tubing run. She rode with Brittney and they went "super fast!"

Natalie and Ally hung out at David and Rhonda's with Cindy and the kids. Thanks girls for helping watch Ava and Emet!

Ava enjoyed playing with Aaron this weekend! He camped out in our room with us!

Ava in her snowsuit!

All bundled up and ready to go!

Ava and Brittney

Emet and Brook

I enjoyed boarding with Brittney. She boarded at Thanksgiving for the first time, and so this was only her second time boarding. She was great! We and rode together for a good part of the day. It was good to spend some time with her!

Me and Jon at the to of Beech Mountain!

Collin, Jessica, Travis, Brittney, Rhonda and David getting ready for a much needed lunch break...skiing and snowboarding sure does make you hungry!

Cindy, Me, Ava and Ally ready to go tubing!

Emet and Ava in a tube...no, Emet didn't go tubing, and he didn't really like sitting in it for the picture either. But, I still thought it was cute!

Jon and Ava

It wasn't too cold on Sunday, so Emet got to watch the tubing!

He was soooooo tired!

He managed to stay asleep even after I passed him to Jon!