The Chasteens

South Carolina Christmas

2012-01-21T20:11:00.017-05:00

We left at 3 a.m. on December 21st to make our journey to South Carolina. (Yes, I know it is now a month after our trip...sorry, life happens and I haven't been on the computer much!) We decided to leave early so we could drive straight through and maximize our time there. We spent the first part of our trip in South Carolina with Jon's family. It was great to see everyone and have time with his parents and see their new home. Here is our picture review of our South Carolina Christmas!!!

3 a.m. in the car and ready to go!

He did go back to sleep...and traveled so well that day. We traveled for 16.5 hours. However, when we made it to S.C. we realized he had a fever. He was pretty pitiful the next day and Allyson and I ended up taking him to a pediatric urgent care the night after we got there. Poor baby...turned out he had strep! Thankfully no one else got it. He recovered slowly, but surely.

We made it!!

On Friday, the 23rd we had a steak dinner at Allyson and Kevin's. Love Kevin's steak. It was, as always, good to be together. Can't believe we actually managed to get a family picture. The picture isn't quite the same without Amy. We sure missed her, but were thankful to be able to Skype with her on Christmas Eve morning when we opened gifts. Love and miss you Amy!

Jeremy, Liz and their kids spent Friday night at Nana and Papa's house too. Ava and Bryn had a sleepover on Nana and Papa's floor...sleeping bags and all. It is so much fun to see these two girls together. They get along and play so well together. Cousin love for sure!

Ava loves her Lalaloopsy...thanks Nana and Papa!
We all opened gifts early Christmas Eve morning. Later that day more of Jon's extended family joined us for lunch. What a sweet time with family that day!

Emet loves the guitar too...thanks Nana and Papa!

Christmas Eve Lunch...LOVE this!

Girls' Table

Christmas Eve at church with my girl

Christmas Morning

Maybe we are crazy, but we did buy our 3 year old his first drum set...he loves it!

We surprised Ava with a camera. She has loved taking pictures!
She takes after her Mommy I guess!

At the Elliott's Christmas morning

Pic with Nana and Papa

North Carolina Christmas

2012-01-13T22:21:00.015-05:00

We had a great trip over Christmas. We saw lots of family and friends...it was a real treat to get to go back to North Carolina (and South Carolina) to celebrate. This is the picture review of our wonderful time in Hickory with my parents and my friends. Our "North Carolina Christmas" couldn't have been better...well, Jon may say if we'd have had snow it would have been better. That's my snow loving husband for you!

We did gifts and Christmas dinner when we arrived at Mom and Dad's Christmas night. This is Ava with her new Sketchers Twinkle Toe Shoes. She's been wanting these. Thanks to Granna and Pops for the fun shoes. She loves them!

Opening gifts

Emet is very into monster trucks right now. He loves this truck...and so does Owen!
Thanks Granna and Pops!!!

Kids' Table

My Batman Boys
Emet is also very into Batman...love these shirts and beanies!

Pops and Owen...too sweet!

11 Months old...goes SO FAST!!!

The kids, Jon, Dad and I met Kellie and Eli at the movies the day after Christmas to see Chipwrecked. It was cute! The kids had a blast and loved seeing the movie! It was a fun afternoon and I'm glad we got to share it with Kellie and Eli!

We met Tracey and Bailey at Chick-Fil-A for lunch one day. It was great to see them and catch up, even if our visit was way too short! Bailey and Ava enjoyed their ice cream!

Next time we take this picture another baby will be in it...Tracey is due in a couple of months. Can't wait to meet her little guy. Bailey is convinced his name is "Daba Carraba Amerson 452 Hours." Don't ask...but that's what she is telling everyone. I doubt they go with that though!

Jon and I celebrated our 8th anniversary on December 27th. Mom and Dad were so sweet to keep the kids so we could go out and celebrate. This is their dinner that night. We got to enjoy dinner at Kobe Japanese Steak House, walk the mall for a few minutes and catch the Mission Impossible Movie. Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us get a date night on our anniversary. It was a treat!

Date Night

My sweet boy

There was a lot of backyard football at Mom and Dad's.
Notice the eye black stickers...Emet got them in his stocking!

I LOVE this picture of Dad and the kids!

Do they look alike?

Love my little girl!

This is so Emet right now!

Christmas pic with Granna and Pops

He will be one soon...I'm not ready for him to grow up!

Each year Kellie, Leigh Ann and I get together with all of our kiddos. I love this time with them and seeing our kids together. We started the tradition of making Christmas ornaments together this year. It was a lot of fun. I love these ladies and am thankful for them. They are coming to see me in just 2 weeks...I can't wait!!!

If only you could see what it takes to get these kids to take a half way decent pic. Of course, Emet is being his usual silly self...mouth wide open!

A great week in NC for sure. Loved having time with my parents, seeing my kids love on my parents and getting to spend time with some of my best friends. So glad to get to see Tracey, Kellie, Leigh Ann and their kids. These ladies mean so much to me. It was a great way to spend half of our Christmas vacation!

November in Review

2011-12-10T21:40:00.011-05:00

We had a great November...and I did no blogging...so here is a recap of the fun times we had!!!

Preschool day at our house

Sweet James and Big O

Movie Night at Brooks School

Pumpkin Carving (we waited until after Halloween)

My little lobster

Emet and Matthew's last day of sports class

Mom and Dad came up for my birthday and treated us to dinner at Cheescake Factory. We had a great visit with them and were so thankful they made the trip up to stay with us and celebrate my 31 (can't believe I'm 31) years. Love you Mom and Dad!!!

Dad, Mom and the kiddos

Owen eating his Thanksgiving turkey

I love, love, love this sweet little man! Owen's first Thanksgiving, and I'm so thankful for him!

10 Months Old (and almost 20 pounds now)

Thanks Marsha!!!

2011-12-10T21:10:00.007-05:00

Marsha took some pics for us back in October, and as usual, I am behind on blogging. Here are just a few of our favorites. She does a great job! Thanks Marsha for taking our pics!!!

Halloween Fun

2011-11-23T11:56:00.008-05:00

We had a great Halloween weekend (several weekends back). Friday after school we trick-or-treated in West Medford with some friends from Ava's class and the Gretos. Saturday we went to the Greto's Halloween party and we hit our neighborhood on Monday for more trick-or-treating. Needless to say, we were on a candy overload and have since given much of it away. Here are some pictures from our fun weekend!

The kids in West Medford

Emet and Mario
Mario owns a pizza shop in West Medford. He loves Emet and Emet loves going to see him and eating in his shop. We took this picture up to Mario with a card and he has it hanging in the shop now.

Parker and Ava

Belle and Bumblebee

Abbey, Owen (my little lobster), Riley and Jessica

Spiderman and Bumblebee

Love the little lobster!!!

Halloween Night

Greto and Chasteen Kiddos

Go Harvard!

2011-11-07T20:06:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago we went to a Harvard game. Thanks to Colton for getting us tickets. We had a blast and enjoyed a fun afternoon of football and time with friends. Jess and the Harrisons went with us to the game. Loved it...fun memories!!!

Me and my girl

Jess and Owen

Harrisons

Trip and Emet

Go Crimson!!!

Trip dancing

With the cheerleader

Me and Emet

Me and Big O

Passed Out

Cheerleaders

Love this look!

Owen is 9 Months!

2011-10-28T22:36:00.006-04:00

Our little man is 9 months old. He continues to be a joy and delight in our lives. He is laid back and content. Owen has such a sweet nature. He loves to snuggle (especially with his Mommy), play with his toys, stand in the exersaucer, laugh at Ava and Emet and eat. He LOVES his bottle and meal time for sure. (I am no longer nursing). He is crawling and pulling up on our furniture these days. I love his smile and hearing him laugh. I love the way he snuggles into my shoulder when he is tired. I just love my little guy so much!!!

9 Months Old
17 pounds 12 ounces
27.5 inches

Going for his paci...he does love the paci!

Officially Crawling

Pulling up and standing

Love him!!!

My Babies at 9 Months

2011-10-28T22:30:00.000-04:00

Topsfield Fair Fun

2011-10-28T21:43:00.012-04:00

For the second year in a row we made the trip up to Topsfield for the fair. For all of you N.C. friends, think State Fair on a smaller scale. We love going to the fair and experiencing it for one day out of the year. This year was no different. I especially love seeing the kids' excitement about everything going on. We visited animals, rode rides, caught a couple of "shows" and of course ate some good food!

Ava and the baby chick

He was so excited he dropped the chick, but no worries, no harm was done and the man in charge was so nice. He said he wouldn't have let him hold it in the first place if he was worried about the chick getting hurt. Nonetheless, Emet was happy to be holding the baby chick!

For Jeremy and Abbey...they were a little lost without you guys this year!

Sand Structure

I love these kiddos!!!

She really is, so sweet!

Driving the truck

Getting on a spinning ride...I'm getting too old for those!

Love his smile!

I couldn't do another spinning ride, so Jon took one for the team!

Owen enjoyed riding in his stroller most of the day...we got him out for some picture ops.

Bike show...crazy tricks!

Fall Fun

2011-10-28T21:11:00.012-04:00

I've been behind lately...so here is a lot of catching up in one long post. This is a glimpse of our fun filled October...minus the fair pictures. (There were too many fair pictures to include in this post...so those are to come later). It has been a great month. Thankful for a beautiful October, now that we are ready for winter and already seeing snow. Crazy!!!

Micah and Carrie came over one night to watch the Clemson football game. Go Tigers!!!

Our Buzz Lightyear and Superman
(Emet and Matthew)

My matching boys on a Sunday morning

Our little preschool group (minus Lois) on our way to the fire station!
Trip, Matthew, Emet and Parker
The kids are loving doing preschool and
the fire station field trip was a huge hit!

Emet driving the truck

Mom, Dad, Bob and Linda were in Rhode Island and
came up to spend a day with us. We loved having them here and
were thankful that they made a day trip up to see us!

In our living room tent...hanging out with Joseph and watching a movie!

Smolak Farms
The kids and I went apple picking last weekend. We had a blast. This was on my "to do" list for fall. I'm glad we went. The kids loved it and the apples were cheap! My sweet boy has been putting away some apples this week. Glad he likes them, because we have so many!

Picking Apples

In the orchard

Have I mentioned how much I love my kids? They are the BEST!!!

Apple Cider (with cinnamon and sugar) doughnut

Sisterly, Brotherly LOVE

Owen is 8 months old!!!

2011-10-06T13:54:00.002-04:00

Our sweet little boy is 8 months old. He is such a joy and we love him more and more everyday. He is sitting up and trying to crawl. I found him in his bed sitting up the other day...this was a first. He is eating more solids and even some "big people" food now. He loves his baba (paci) and his bottle. (He prefers the bottle to nursing). He is wearing 6 month clothes or 6-9 month clothes. He is in size 2 diapers. The last time he was weighed he was 15 pounds and 8 ounces...but I can tell he is gaining...my arms get tired much quicker these days. He likes his jumper and just in the past two days has enjoyed playing in the exersaucer (thanks to the Millers)! He is sleeping great at night these past several days, but HATES taking naps. Oh, it is a battle! Ava and Emet enjoy playing with him and being big helpers. He is such a sweet spirited and happy baby. We love him so much.

Mom's Visit

2011-10-06T13:36:00.006-04:00

We had a great few days with my Mom. She flew up on September 25th (her birthday) and stayed for 5 days. We enjoyed having her here. We crammed a lot into a short trip. She was able to see Ava do gymnastics and Emet do his sports class. She had lunch with Ava at school one day and then we went into Boston for a Duck Boat ride. But, I must say, the highlight of Mom's time here was a girls' night out. Jon kept the kids and Mom treated Abbey and I to dinner and a show. We went to see So You Think You Can Dance, the tour. We rode the train in and had dinner at the Sunset Cantina (highly recommend this place) across from Boston University. After dinner we walked across the street to the arena for the show. It was amazing! We had fun being out and loved seeing the incredibly, talented dancers. Thanks Mom for such a wonderful treat! Thanks for coming...we loved having you here! Can't wait to see you soon!

Me and Ava (before our girls' night out)

Dinner before the show

So You Think You Can Dance

Duck Boat Ride

On the boat

Driving!!!

The driver obviously doesn't know my son! :)

Oh, we also made a couple of trips to Costco. Mom also bought the kids their Halloween costumes! Thanks Granna! We will have Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) and Bumblebee (the transformer). Owen is going to be a lobster. Allyson brought her boys' baby costume for me to use for him...thanks to Allyson for Owen's very appropriate for New England, costume!

Sweet Friends

2011-10-06T13:30:00.003-04:00

Some friends from North Carolina came up a couple of weeks ago for a visit. It was GREAT having them here. We were able to soak in a lot of girls' time, which was needed. It was refreshing to be able to spend time with some great friends. Abbey, Marsha, Jessica and myself were so encouraged by our time with Allyson (and her little girl Lexi), Kristy (and her little girl Laney) and Beth. We loved having these ladies and their babies here for a few days.
Allyson and I taught together. In fact, she was a big part in me getting my job at Rolesville. I owe it to her for my years there! I love Allyson and consider her a great friend. I loved having her stay with me. It was great catching up and hanging out. I must say, I am a little (okay, a LOT) jealous of her little Lexi's napping schedule. Lexi is a champion napper...and well, Owen, he is STRUGGLING these days. Maybe he will catch on. I can hope. But, I love Allyson dearly and am so thankful for the time I had with her while she was here.

Me and Allyson

Lexi and Owen

Maine

2011-09-29T21:30:00.009-04:00

Jon planned a get away for us last week. We went and stayed at a little cabin in Ogunquit, Maine. We were right on Perkins Cove. On the way up we stopped and shopped and went to a movie. Once we checked in to the cabin, we went for a walk along the coast and enjoyed dinner at the Oarweed, right on the water. Ava stayed with the Gretos and Emet stayed with the Millers...BIG thanks to our friends for keeping the kids. We took Owen with us. It was a great little get away and I'm so thankful for my husband who is thoughtful and sweet...he planned everything. I love you honey!!!

Our cabin is tucked away in the woods

Maine Coast

I love him!!!

My sweet little man!

Love my boys!

Dinner at the Oarweed

Isn't his face sweet?

View from our cabin

Preschool and Sports

2011-09-29T20:18:00.005-04:00

We started preschool with some friends a couple of weeks ago. Emet, Matthew, Trip and Parker are doing preschool and the mommies are taking turns teaching. I taught the first day and only Emet and Matthew could make it. Since then they have had two more days of preschool and Emet is loving it!
Emet and Matthew are also taking a sports class at the YMCA. They rotate and practice a new sport each week. They are having a blast and doing really well. It's so much fun to watch the boys in their element. They both LOVE sports!

Ready for preschool

Emet and Matthew

Soccer Day

Basketball Day

Jon was there on football day!

Ava is in Kindergarten!!!

2011-09-17T08:36:00.011-04:00

Ava has started Kindergarten. My baby girl is off to school, and I must say, LOVING every minute. While I miss her during the day, it is comforting and reassuring to know that she loves where she is going, what she is doing and her teacher. It thrills me to see her excitement about school and learning. I can't wait to see how she grows and learns as a student this year. We did capture memories from her preview day and her first real day of Kindergarten.
I think the start of school and transition has been much harder on me than her. I enjoy having her home and treasure every minute with her. I miss her now that she is gone during the day, but am thankful that she is enjoying her school experience. I think it is good for all of us to be in this phase. It has been fun taking her and picking her up each day. It is a great time for me to meet other parents and connect with what is going on at her school. I'm thankful for a school that we have heard so many good things about and a teacher that Ava seems to love. It is going to be a great year!
Look at our big girl!!!

Preview Day

So grown up

Everything ready before her first day

EXCITED!!

Here we go

In front of Brooks School

She can't wait to go in!

I love my girl!

I will be okay, I will be okay, I will be okay...

Silly faces

Walking In
Picking Ava up from the first day

Isn't she adorable? I'm so proud of my big Kindergarten girl!

Sitting Up and 7 Months...

2011-09-17T08:32:00.003-04:00

I am a little late and realize Owen is almost 8 months old at this point, but I found these pictures and remembered I hadn't posted them. Here he is at 7 months old and sitting up on his own. He doesn't really like to sit up, he prefers playing on his back or belly...but he has on occasion sit up for us. We love this little boy!

Loop, Swoop and Pull

2011-09-08T23:54:00.003-04:00

Cross

Loop, Swoop

and pull!!!

Ava can tie a shoe!!!

Labor Day Fun

2011-09-08T23:34:00.010-04:00

We enjoyed spending Labor Day together as a family. We started our day off with a trip south of the city to hike a small mountain. There was a mini zoo there, so we checked out the animals before our hike. The kids had a great time exploring as we hiked. After our hike we went down to Wrentham to the outlets. As I was walking around, I spotted someone who I thought was the kid, Snap Boogie, from America's Got Talent. I actually stopped to ask him. It was, him! He is from Boston and got sent home last week. He is a street dancer, so naturally I loved watching him. As little Emet LOVES to dance, it is fun to watch these guys perform. He was great and I wished he would have stayed in the competition a little longer. But, he was very friendly and even took a picture with Ava. Emet got shy on me and wouldn't get in the picture.
After shopping we headed out to dinner to use a coupon we had for buy one entree get one free.
Overall our day was great. The best part, just being together as a family! I'm so thankful for my husband and our precious kiddos!

Before our hike

Checking out the mushrooms

Love this!

Are they cute or what?

Love him...

and her!!!

Snap Boogie and Ava

Time in South Carolina

2011-09-08T23:02:00.005-04:00

Our time in South Carolina was jam packed. We saw family and friends and enjoyed every minute of our time there. We certainly made our rounds. The kids and I spent one night with Jeremy, Liz and the kids in Clemson. We went to my friend Tracey's the next night and then made our way to Allyson and Kevin's for First Baptist North Spartanburg's Global Impact Conference weekend. It was great spending time with friends and family and the conference was great too. We went to visit Jon's grandparents the day after the conference. So, our time was full...but so good! I'm thankful to have had this time to visit, but coming home and getting settled did feel good after two weeks of traveling!

Ava and Bryn

On a walk with all of our kiddos in Clemson...fun times!

We went to the park with Tracey and Bailey. It was great
to have time with Tracey, Asheton and Bailey. I love Tracey dearly
so having a night at her house was fun. We got to catch up and it was fun
to watch our kids together. We don't get this time often, so I treasure it
when we do. Tracey and I got close during our time at Seminary together.
I am thankful for her and her friendship. She is such a dear,
true friend and I love her so much!

Bailey is such a cutie pie!

FBNS brought Jon and I in for their Global Impact Conference. It was a great opportunity to share what the Lord has been doing here in Boston and with RHC. We have enjoyed this conference for two years now and are thankful for FBNS and their partnership.

Pat, me and Scarlet at the women's brunch during GIC weekend

Tracey came to the brunch as well.

Just because I think this picture is cuteAmy and Ava
Amy came up with her family when FBNS did a mission trip over spring break. Amy and Ava hit it off their first night in town when we went to dinner. They became instant friends. When Amy heard Ava was coming for GIC she wanted her to come for a sleepover. On Saturday night Ava went and spent the night with the Prices. Thanks to them for having her. She loved it!!!

Superman (x2)
Emet loves Kolson and enjoyed tagging along behind him all weekend!

Jon and I shared with the youth. This is a random shot of our home group night when we shared our story and what is going on in our lives up here as church planters.

Papa and Owen

Nana, Owen and Emet

Papa and Mama Simmons with the kids

Visiting with Mama Chasteen

Owen and Kevin cheering for Allyson's Bulldogs at their volleyball game.

Ava and Kelsey

Spencer and Owen
It was fun to see these guys together. They are only 12 days apart and I love that they will grow up with a cousin so close in age. Liz and I went a little camera happy taking their pictures in their matching outfits (thanks to Allyson for the outfits), but this is one of my faves!

Bryn, Spencer, Emet, Owen, Ava, Carson and Lydia

Kaleb and Emet

I don't have a picture from this trip, but my sweet friend Carrie and I got some time together this trip as well. We spent an afternoon/evening with them. The kids had fun playing and swimming that afternoon. But Carrie and I were able to sneak away for a frozen yogurt date one night. We went to Tutti Frutti and spent about 2 hours catching up, just us girls. Carrie and I just met in March when FBNS was here for the mission trip. But through that week and many phone calls and text messages since, we have built a great friendship. I loved getting to have time with her and hearing what the Lord is doing in her life. I'm encouraged by her faithfulness to the Lord, her husband and her kids. She is an amazing woman and I am blessed to call her my friend!
(This was from the week of Spring Break)

Time in North Carolina

2011-09-07T15:03:00.022-04:00

We had a great trip down south. We spent the first part of our two weeks in North Carolina. We spent 5 days with my parents and 3 days in Durham with at Jon's parent's house. We definitely crammed in a lot of visiting and seeing friends into a short amount of time. I'm thankful for the time we had, even if it was short, quick visits. (Pictures are in no order...sorry!)

Love these girls! They picked us up in Greensboro and drove us the rest of the way to Durham. I am so thankful for these two precious girls. They mean the world to me. I love their passion for life and how the know that Christ is most important. Even at just 17, these girls really know what our life here on earth is truly about. I'm so encouraged by their faith and desire to follow Christ!

We love Brittney! She is so special to our family!

The Bonnett and Chasteen Kiddos
It was great to see the Bonnetts in Wake Forest.
We had a fun afternoon at their house! We are thankful
for this sweet family who are dear friends of ours.
We also visited with Allison Nelson and her three kiddos.
(No picture though.) It was good to see Allison too. I love being
able to go back to Wake Forest and see friends who are so special to us!
Nanny Janet
We had a wonderful breakfast with Nanny Janet.
We love her and enjoy getting to see her and spend
time with her when we are back in Durham.

We love the Murrays!!! We had a Chick-Fil-A lunch with
Laura and 3 of her girls. As always, so good to see them
and to see Ava and Addi together again. I cherish these times!

Love these girls together!

So sweet!

Ava and Emet's Ridgecrest buddies...Carly and Jeremiah

Emet, Eli and Ava at the pool

We enjoyed the pool one night with Leigh Ann, Kellie and their boys.
Here are our 6 of our 7 kids together...and Ava is the only girl!
She holds her own though!
(Not Pictured: Owen)

We went gem mining in Hiddenite. My parents use to take me as a kid and it is fun to see them do it with my kids. Ava and Emet love it. They get to dig in the dirt, get dirty and find cool rocks...what could be better right?

We were in Hickory for Mom and Dad's anniversary.
I made dinner for them and we celebrated as a family.

We made a trip up the mountain to visit a childhood friend of mine, Holli. We went to her house and enjoyed some time outside. Their house is in a valley and it is absolutely gorgeous. I was thankful to have time to catch up with Holli, see her sweet kids and meet her husband.

Marina, her little girl, got a pony for her birthday.
Ava and Emet loved the pony!

Thankful for my sweet friend!

Mom and Dad with the kids

Love this

Better late than never...

2011-09-04T15:26:00.006-04:00

We have had a busy past few weeks, so here is a recap of some things that happened before we went on vacation to NC and SC. I will do a post later from our time traveling.

Melissa and Ava
Jon and Ava went to a pre-season Patriots game with some friends of ours.
They had a blast! It was a daddy/daughter date night to the football game.

Pats Stadium
Jon, Ava, Chris and Melissa

Go Pats! (Did I just say that?)

Ava's swim teacher, Caroline was amazing. She did a great job teaching Ava this summer. Ava loved swim lessons and loved Caroline. What a blessing to have free swim lessons up here!

We took a day trip up to Glouscester. It was fun to get away for a day and enjoy time together as a family. We went to the beach and even enjoyed some seafood (just popcorn shrimp) while we were there. We found a neat little beach/park/fort area that is great for families!

Family Fun

2011-08-15T23:51:00.004-04:00

We had a great week this past week. Ava learned to ride a bike without training wheels, we made a trip down to the river to go fishing and we spent some time with our sweet friends the Townleys before they made their move to Texas. Jon has been able to spend some time just hanging out and doing family things with us on his days off. I love that. He took Ava's training wheels off and helped her learn to ride her bike. What a great day for him as a daddy and her as his daughter!

At the tennis courts

No training wheels!!!

So proud of my girl!

My sweet boy

Fishing

Love this

We had a great day fishing. It was fun and relaxing to hang out by the river. The kids got fishing poles when we went to a church planter's picnic last weekend. We were able to use this on our "family day" down by the river last week. The kids loved it!

What a blessing my sweet friend Katie has been to me. We met soon after we moved to Boston last summer. I loved getting to know Katie and her sweet kids. We even were able to share in the joys of being pregnant together. She moved to Texas today and I am sad to see her go. Her hubby is in the military and was assigned to San Antonio, Texas. I'm thankful for her friendship and will treasure the memories we made over the past year!

6 Month Stats

2011-08-10T14:57:00.002-04:00

We went for Owen's 6 month well check yesterday. I'm excited to say he is growing and gaining weight!

Weight: 14 pounds, 12 ounces- 5%
Length: 27 inches- 65%
Head: 50% (I don't remember the exact measurement)

6 Months and Just Because...

2011-08-07T22:11:00.004-04:00

Our sweet little Owen is 6 months (and 11 days) as of today. He continues to be a joy and delight to have in our family. He really is an amazing baby! He is smiling and laughing a lot these days. He loves Ava and Emet. He recognizes his Mommy, especially when he is hungry and responds with his sweet grin to Daddy's voice. He is sleeping well at night and has had more successful naps the past few days. Today he took a 3 hour nap (with no tears going down)...AMAZING! We go for his 6 month well check on Tuesday. I'm anxious to see how our little peanut is growing!

6 Months Old

I love this little guy!Brothers

And just because...
Thanks to our Gorman crew who taught my kids deuces!

For those of you that know Emet, this is
totally appropriate! He is too funny!

Serve Medford

2011-08-07T17:55:00.006-04:00

We had a team of 83 people, from 5 churches come and Serve Medford a week ago. What a HUGE blessing it was to have so many people to help us reach and serve our community. The teams did a variety of projects from cleaning up parks, to washing local store windows, to giving away granola bars at T stops. Some passed out door hangers to promote our Community Fun Night. On Friday night of the week they were here, we hosted a Community Fun Night at a local park. There was free food, games and give-aways. We had over 300 people from our community come and hang out that night. The week was amazing and we were so blessed!
It was great to get to spend some time with our friends from Ridgecrest in Durham. The kids had a blast hanging out with their youth. The Ridgecrest team worked in the parks, so we were able to spend a good bit of time with them. Their last day serving, they were in the park across from our house. They even kept our kids so we could enjoy a date one evening. What a blessing to have such sweet friends be here with us for a week!

Our Serve Medford Team

Ridgecrest Team (and our family)

Tom Buck worked hard replacing rotted wood on park benches all week. Cindy is here painting one of the benches in our park. They look great and are in much better condition now.

Ava clung close to Carly. It was sweet to see her connect with Carly and enjoy spending time with her. The Davis family even let Ava come and spendthe night with them at the hotel one night. She had a blast!

The Ridgecrest team spread wood chips at our park.
It made such a difference.

Capen Street Park

Emet's new BFF...he had a great time with Jeremiah and I think Jeremiah enjoyed hanging out with Emet. It was fun to watch them together. They are alike in so many ways...full of life and energy. Jeremiah was so sweet to let Emet tag along with him all week!

My sweet girl with her face painted at Community Fun Night

VBS

2011-07-30T13:41:00.005-04:00

The kids participated in VBS at Hope Fellowship and I spent the week volunteering. It was a great week. The theme was "Big Apple Adventure." The kids had a blast learning, singing, doing crafts, eating snacks and playing games. I enjoyed seeing their excitement. We were blessed to be a part of this great week!

Acting out Bible stories

Don't let this face fool you!
(He really is sweet...just a hand full!)

Loving VBS!

Owen had fun in the nursery!

Emet and Brennan

A great week of VBS...lots of kids and lots of volunteers!

On stage for the performance!

Love this little man!

Sweet Family

2011-07-30T12:44:00.002-04:00

These are for you Amy...sorry I haven't been posting enough pictures! We love you and miss you!

Owen has learned how to hold a bottle!

Ava is a great big sister!

Snuggle Buddies

My sweet girl

Soccer Nights

2011-07-28T09:25:00.008-04:00

We were blessed to have a team from Open Door come and serve with us a couple of weeks ago. Soccer Nights wouldn't have been possible without them. Every night for a week we held a free soccer clinic for kids and had a blast! We had over 100 kids come out for this event. We were able to spend time teaching soccer, loving on kids and connecting with families. What a fun (but exhausting) week! Thanks to Open Door for serving and being here for the week!

Ava loved it!

The sweet girls from the team spoiled Owen. Here he is with Courtney.

Emet had a blast too!

Ava and Alana

Dribbling

Sweet kids

Double Trouble

My sweet girl

Jon and Zack
Thanks to Zack and Open Door for a great week!

Coach Mike

Group Shot

Catching Up...

2011-07-21T21:54:00.004-04:00

I've been WAY behind and slacking in taking pictures these days. Here are a few of my favorites from the past few weeks. We had a crazy busy week last week with Soccer Nights and I will post pictures from that soon. For now, enjoy these!

Owen-5 Months
He is now almost 6 months...but these pictures are too sweet. We had him weighed today and he is now 13 pounds and 12 ounces...still a little squirt. He is in the 5th percentile for weight for a 6 month old baby. (He will be 6 months on the 27th).

I LOVE this kid!

On our way to see Cars 2

Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A

Oh, my little Emet!!!

Vacation Pictures

2011-07-04T22:44:00.002-04:00

Here are a few more pictures from our beach trip...there will be a post later from our photo shoot on the beach. We had a great trip and are thankful for our time with family!

Owen

Kelsey painted nails and then dressed the girls up in her clothes...what fun!

Sweet!

Sacked out!

Spencer and Owen
Owen is 11 days older than Spencer. It will be fun to watch them grow up together!

These girls love their baby brothers!

Myrtle Beach Days

2011-07-04T21:44:00.010-04:00

We went down to spend a week with Jon's family in Myrtle Beach. After flying in to Richmond and attending a commissioning service for Amy, we all drove down for a week at Myrtle Beach. All 19 (you read that right...19) of us stayed in two condos and spent the week together. It was a blessing to have time with Amy before she left for India. We love her so much and treasure each and every moment with her. The week was filled with trips to the pool, beach, seafood dinners, golf for the guys, shopping with Liz, late nights and lots more. It was truly a week to remember. Our kids had a blast and we did too. We are thankful for time with family and loved having a week to spend together. Here are some photos from the week...I have lots more, but my computer was slow to upload. I'll post pics from our family beach photo shoot later.

Owen's first time on the beach

Emet loves tigers. We went to see the tigers at Barefoot Landing.

About to jump...

Look at that girl go!

The kids all LOVE Amy, she is such a fun aunt!

This is what Owen enjoyed about the beach...napping under the umbrella!

Sandcastle

Football

Look at Kelsey

It was so much fun to watch Ava and Bryn together. They became the best of buddies and had a great time playing with each other. They played together well and really complement one another!

Trip to the Dentist

2011-07-04T21:29:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago we made a trip to the dentist. It was time...Ava hadn't been in a year and Emet had never been. We had a great experience and loved our hygienists and the dentist too. Emet was brave, only a few tears. Ava acted like it was no big deal. They both have healthy teeth. They were excited to visit the goody box and get new tooth brushes and toothpaste!

My Babies at 4 Months

2011-06-07T23:50:00.004-04:00

Ava

Emet

Owen
Weight: 12 pounds 6 ounces-5%
I don't remember his length or head circumference, but
they were both in the 50%. We have a long and lean little boy!

A lot of catching up to do...

2011-06-07T22:44:00.012-04:00

We were blessed to be able to go back to North Carolina (with a quick trip to South Carolina too) a couple of weeks ago. We went to spend time with my family and enjoyed a trip to the mountains and time in Hickory. It was great to get away for a few days. The mountains were great and time in Hickory with Mom, Dad and some of my closest friends was good too! We made a day trip to South Carolina and packed in a lot. We spent time with family and friends over the course of 24 hours...it was a whirlwind, but we are glad we did it!

On our porch swing in the mountains...my Mom and Dad with Owen

Owen rolled from his belly to his back while we were there!

A divided family for sure!

So sweet!

My cousin's little girl, Kaleigh and Ava had a blast playing together!

We were back in Hickory for one of my best friends, Kellie's little boy's birthday. Ava and Eli are 3 and a half weeks apart. I thought last year would be the last party we made it to for a while, but I was so excited that it worked out for us to be there this year too!!! I love Kellie, Eli, Ian and Andy! I am so thankful for her and her friendship, what a blessing!

Papa Simmons and the kiddos
All of Jon's grandparents met Owen for the first time on our trip.

Mama Simmons and my 3 boys

Mama Chasteen...sweet kisses!

We visited grandparents for most of the day. We were able to grab some time with another one of my best friends, Tracey and her family. I love time with Tracey, Asheton and Bailey. I'm thankful for them, their friendship and count it a blessing to have them as a part of our lives!

Kolson, Emet and Kaleb after Kolson's game

Attack of the 3 Musketeers!

Kelsey and Owen

My sweet friend Carrie...Carrie came up to Boston with FBNS on their spring break mission trip. I was able to spend some time with her that week. She is an amazing woman, wife and mom. I am encouraged and challenged by her! I love you Carrie!

Back in Hickory and Dad took us to the driving range...fun times!

I love these girls and their boys. Leigh Ann and Kellie, my best friends from college, are amazing and I love soaking up any time I can get with them. We enjoyed a night at Chic-Fil-A for Eli's birthday. The kids had a blast playing and we enjoyed catching up. Love you both!

We were so thankful to have time with Mom and Dad and appreciate them making this trip possible. It was great to be with them and spend some time together. We love you guys!!

Birthday Party

2011-05-17T22:41:00.005-04:00

We had a party for the kids the weekend after their birthdays. It was great having friends over for pizza, cake and playing in the yard! The kids had a blast. We are thankful for the friends we have and that they were here to celebrate Ava's and Emet's birthdays with us!

I am Blessed!

2011-05-17T22:29:00.003-04:00

I was loved so much by my kids and husband on Mother's Day. The loved and served me well! From flowers, to a ring to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, I felt very much loved and appreciated. I love my kiddos and Jon so much and am blessed to be called Ava, Emet and Owen's Mommy. Thanks to my family for making my Mother's Day special!!!

My Mother's Day Poster

I love being a mom to these wonderful kiddos!

Happy Birthday Ava and Emet!

2011-05-04T23:43:00.003-04:00

We now have a 5 year-old little girl and a 3 year-old little boy. Ava's birthday was May 2nd and Emet's was yesterday, May 4th. We have had a fun few days celebrating our sweet kids. We love these two precious kiddos with all that is in us. They both bless us in so many ways!

Ava loves craft things right now. She got an easel for her birthday. She also enjoys doing gymnastics. She goes to a gymnastics class once a week. She loves taking care of Owen and being a big sister. What I love about Ava is that she looks out for others. She is always thinking of others and wanting to make sure everyone is taken care of. One of the ladies in Target was passing out candy today and she got two pieces. She asked me in the car which one Daddy would want because she wanted to share with him. She is amazing! She is also learning the books of the Bible. We are almost all the way through the old testament. I love this little girl so much and couldn't be more proud to be her Mommy!
Emet is a fun-loving, energetic, sweet little boy. He loves Batman, anything and everything batman right now. I'm not even sure he really knows much about Batman, but according to him, he loves Batman. He is also into sports. Football, baseball, soccer, basketball and hockey...he loves them all. He got a bat and some tee-balls for his birthday. He also got a monster truck that didn't work well and we went to exchange it and ended up with an Ironman mask. He got to choose and that's what he chose. I know he doesn't know who Ironman is, but the helmet is cool I guess! We love Emet's quick wit. He got in trouble for flicking a piece of food at Ava (which she flicked back at him) and he replied as quick as we could say anything to him, "Dad, we were playing hockey." Emet is expressing his thankfulness lately. Without prompting he will randomly tell us, "thank you Mommy for my cake" or "thank you for my dinner." I love seeing this in him. I'm thankful for my little man and love him so much!

Owen is 3 Months Old!!!

2011-04-29T23:10:00.004-04:00

We have had three wonderful months with sweet Owen. He is a great baby and I am truly thankful and blessed! Owen is sleeping 8-9 hours a night. He is smiling and starting to giggle. He loves to snuggle and hardly cries. He is just a little bit bigger than Emet was at 3 months. I don't think he has broken 12 pounds yet, but we are getting close. He loves his baba (paci) and will take a bottle if we need him to. I love my little man and am so thankful for him!

3 Months Old
Owen

Emet

Ava

Brittney's Visit

2011-04-29T21:10:00.009-04:00

We had a great visit with Brittney. It was a blessing to have her at our house for a few days. I am SO thankful for her. Brittney was one of our students at Gorman and she and I got really close. She is more like a best friend and little sister to me than a student. We share a very special friendship and I treasure each and every moment I get to spend with her. She is an amazing young lady who loves the Lord and is following hard after Him. I am encouraged by her sweet spirit, strength and faith. I love you Brittney!
We enjoyed hanging out at the house, Target, P.F. Chang's and the New England Aquarium while she was here. We were come of those crazy people who went to the aquarium on spring break week. There were so many people there! She was also able to spend Easter with us. What a special few days we had today!

On the way home from the airport

So sweet

My little soccer man

P.F. Chang's
Dinner out with my kids is an adventure. This night was no different. We were thankful to have a booth at the back of the restaurant where Emet could move around a little bit!

Lettuce Wraps, Yummy!

2 Mommas, 1 17-year old and 6 kids at the aquarium during spring break...we were crazy!

The kids loved it though!

Tie-dying t-shirts
We had a high school girls' sleepover at our house in Durham before we moved. We watched high school musical and made tie-dyed shirts. The girls planned that weekend. We carried on our tradition of tie-dying shirts. Ava loves doing it and it was fun to do it with Brittney again!

Finished products (Emet's was from another tie-dying adventure)

Easter Sunday

I love you Brittney! Thanks for spending spring break with us. You are a blessing to our family and we love you with all that is in us. Thank you for being who you are and for loving us!

Rhode Island

2011-04-23T22:07:00.014-04:00

We had a great week with Don, Scarlet and Amy last week. We enjoyed spending time with them and especially enjoyed getting away to Rhode Island for a few days. We celebrated Jon and Amy's 30th birthdays, went swimming, did the cliff walk and just enjoyed being together. We are so thankful to have had a week with them and loved our time together!

Ava in the pool!

Emet didn't like it.

Ava and Amy

Happy Birthday to my sweet hubby!

Emet, Me, Amy and Ava at dinner
Emet at Jon and Amy's birthday dinner!

Jon and Emet

I'm so thankful that Jon is a great husband and daddy!

Happy Birthday Jon and Amy!

Love my kiddos!

On the Cliff Walk

There were these amazingly big mansions along the cliff walk. It was crazy how big some of these homes were. I cannot imagine living in something so big!

Newport Sunset

Enjoying the beauty of Rhode Island!

Oh Happy Day!!!

2011-04-23T22:00:00.004-04:00

Gone are the days of coin-op laundry at our household! Last week we said good-bye to these....

and we said hello to HE detergent and machines!!!

I've never enjoyed laundry so much!

Amazing!

Redemption Hill Church Grand Opening

2011-04-10T22:45:00.002-04:00

Today was a big day in our lives. Redemption Hill had our launch service, or grand opening today! We praise the Lord for working and moving in Medford. We rejoice in the people He brought to our service today and look forward with great anticipation to what He will continue to do in the lives of the people in Medford! We are blessed and thankful to be a part of this great leadership team. Each and everyone of these people mean so much to us, and we count it an honor to be serving the Lord with them.

RHC Leadership Team
Owen, Ava, Jon, Emet and Leigh Chasteen, Parker, Marsha (and Kesed) and Tanner Turley, Abbey Cook, Micah and Carrie Lee, Alana, Jessica, Riley, Josh and Matthew Miller

Beautiful Lengths

2011-04-09T09:38:00.007-04:00

Yesterday was a big day for Ava. She got her first "BIG" haircut. When I say, BIG, I mean really big. She got 8 inches cut. We are sending her braid to Pantene Beautiful Lengths. Pantene uses hair to make wigs for cancer patients. Ava has been wanting to cut her hair for a while, so we finally did it. It was harder for me than it was for her. But, we talked about where her hair was going to go and she was excited to get it cut and send it to people who need it. Check out my big girl's new do! Thanks to Lori for the beautiful haircut. My little girl is growing up!

Park Playdate

2011-04-09T09:13:00.004-04:00

We are so thankful for our friends the Clements. Lori has become one of my best friends here in Boston. (We will be sad to see them go...they are moving to Africa this summer to do medical missions.) Her boys are some of my kids best buddies too. Ava and Oliver are 6 months apart, Zekie and Emet are about 6 weeks apart and our baby boys are 3 months apart. We love having time with these sweet friends. Yesterday was one of the days when I really and truly loved being in Boston. We hung out at their apartment, the kids and Jon got haircuts and then Lori and I walked with all of the kids to a park to play. We picked up a pizza for lunch on the way and had a great time just hanging out. I love days like this. The kids had a blast at the park and the mommies enjoyed getting a chance to catch up and hang out too!

FBNS Takes On Medford

2011-04-06T13:29:00.008-04:00

We were blessed last week to have a mission team from First Baptist North Spartanburg come and serve here in Medford. Forty-two people including adults and kids came and spent their spring break here with us. From giving out granola bars to serving at the Boys and Girls Club the team was amazing. They handed out 12,ooo granola bars/gum and invite cards to our launch service, which is this Sunday, April 1oth. They also worked hard at the Boys and Girls club. From painting, to cleaning, to tutoring to leading games, this team was awesome! We had a blast with them and were so thankful they were here. We got to spend time with some good friends, the Strouds as well as Jon's aunt Pat. We also made new friends that we are so thankful for and were blessed by. The kids even got to enjoy the pool a couple of times!

Ava and her sweet buddy Amy

The Stroud and Chasteen Kiddos

Emet, Owen and Christopher

Happy 10th Birthday Braxton! He celebrated his birthday with us at our Community Group. What a sweet boy. Emet loved Braxton and talked about him all week!

Jon's aunt Pat and Owen

He is wearing the right helmet, but the wrong shirt!

Granola Bar Give-Aways

RHC Ad at Wellington Station

Heading to Quincy Market

Emet and Hannah

Emet and the big boys!

Sweet Girls

Playing in the gym...my kids LOVED going to the Club and playing last week!

My sweet new friend, Carrie...I was so very encouraged by her last week. She is a great example of a Godly woman, wife and mom. I loved hanging out with her and her family. What a sweet blessing to have this wonderful woman as a friend. I'm thankful for her and that the Lord lead her here to spend spring break!

Stats

2011-04-06T13:21:00.002-04:00

I took Owen for his 2 month well check yesterday.
His 2 month stats:
11 pounds 6 ounces-32%
23.5 inches-63%

Owen at 2 Months...

2011-03-29T23:34:00.002-04:00

We are two months into being a family of five. Owen continues to be a blessing to us! He is a very laid back, content and happy baby. I am so very thankful for this as it makes caring for Ava and Emet much easier! He loves his baba (paci), his swing and being snuggled. He is wearing 0-3 month clothing and size 1 diapers. He recently slept 6.5 hours at night...we hope that this will continue! We are so blessed by this little boy and thankful for him. We go to the doctor next week and I will post his 2 month stats then!!!

2 Months

2011-03-29T23:19:00.003-04:00

All of my sweet babies at 2 months!!!

Owen

Emet

Ava

Sweet Owen

2011-03-25T20:26:00.004-04:00

As of yesterday, Owen is 8 weeks old! Time has flown by and we are blessed by this sweet little boy. We are enjoying every moment with him and trying to treasure all the little memories we are making with him. Ava and Emet are big helpers and a good big sister and brother!

Play Time

Sweet Owen

He looks like a little elf!

My Long Lost Friends...

2011-03-19T21:37:00.002-04:00

Yes, my running shoes are my "long lost friends." About half way through my pregnancy I stopped running. Yesterday I put on the shoes that I haven't run in for 6 months and got back to it. I must say, I loved it! Jessica and I ran together and she took it easy on me. (She is training for a half marathon next month and could have gone much faster than we ran.) I'm ready to be running again and looking forward to regular dates with my running shoes!!!

My kids have been wanting to go for a run and have been asking for weeks now. After my run with Jessica, I took the kids on a "run." We made it around the block. Fun times!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-16T22:31:00.001-04:00

Lately...

2011-03-16T22:14:00.007-04:00

I've been behind and so here is a snapshot of things that have been going on around our house "lately!"

The day we got back from North Carolina Ava was holding Owen on the couch. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep with him. We were all worn out after our quick trip to NC!

Owen's First Bottle

Since his first bottle, we have been able to leave him with babysitters twice.
We are thankful that he will take a bottle and that we have been able to have two dates!

Me and my little man

Mom was here for a quick 2 day trip.
It was great to have her even for just a short visit!

Maybe I am a crazy mom, but I took all three of my kids to the
movies on Saturday. It was a special treat and we had a blast!

Neena...our WONDERFUL babysitter!
We love Neena and our kids love Neena. We are thankful to have someone we trust and that our kids love to come over so we can go out! Ava looked at me a few weeks ago and said, "you need to go on a date so Neena can come babysit us!" I love that they have so much fun with her and look forward to her coming over!

Sew Excited!!!

2011-03-16T22:08:00.002-04:00

Before we moved, Sharon Tilley, a sweet lady from Gorman who means so much to our family, got a new sewing machine and graciously gave me her old one. I had never used a sewing machine and could barely sew a button back on. But, I took it and was so thankful to have one...at the time not knowing when I'd figure out how to use it. A few weeks ago I got inspired and decided it was time to learn how to operate the sewing machine. With Abbey's help (and I couldn't have done it without her) I learned how to use it and have completed my first projects! I've made burp cloths for my cousin (not pictured), our nephew Spencer and Owen. I must say, I am "sew" excited and look forward to many more fun little projects like these!

1 Month and First "Real" Bath

2011-03-10T19:33:00.004-05:00

When we were in North Carolina Owen got his first bath in a tub. He wasn't very happy...but he smelled so good when he was done! He also turned 1 month old while we were there! We are thankful for a great first month (now 6 weeks...I'm a little late in posting) with our son. He is smiling now and does a great job supporting his head. He still loves to sleep a lot and enjoys his swing. Ava and Emet love their little brother and are great helpers! We went for Owen's one month check up last week...he is a healthy, growing boy!

1 Month Stats:
10 pounds 2 ounces
22 Inches

First Bath

I'm taking an idea from Liz...here are all three of our babies at 1 month old...hope you don't mind Liz, but I thought it was so cute how you put all of your sweet babies' pictures up!

Owen

Emet

Ava

North Carolina Friends

2011-03-10T16:34:00.008-05:00

While we were in North Carolina we were also able to visit with some of our good friends. It was great to see everyone, and even though the visits were short, I'm so thankful for them!

Murray Girls and Chasteen Kiddos
I love these girls and their Mommy (their Daddy too).
Laura (their Mommy) is one of my very good friends from Gorman.
Addi (beside Ava) was Ava's best buddy at Gorman.
We love them, are thankful for them and miss them so much.
It was great to get a short visit with these sweet girls!

We went to Wake Forest and saw the Bonnetts and Vivian. We also got to see Kenneth for a minute at the Seminary. I love and miss them so much. Kristen and Vivian were Ava's first babysitters. Kristen and Kenneth were also our first friends in Seminary. This family is so special to us and we are so thankful for them! Hayley and Elijah have grown up so much!

The Bonnett and Chasteen Kids

I love my dear friend Kristen!

Emet and Kristen

What can I say, these are "my girls." Chelsie and Brittney mean the world to me, Jon and our kids. They are like family to us. I love them so much and miss them like crazy!

So sweet!

We used a timer...not too bad...

Almost 24 Years...

2011-03-08T16:35:00.007-05:00

Don was the pastor at Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Durham for "Almost 24 Years." We had the privilege of traveling down to North Carolina for his retirement weekend. RBC did a great job on Saturday night sharing memories of Don and Scarlet. The service Sunday was amazing and memorable. I was thankful to be able to share in this special weekend...the entire family made it to Durham for this special time in the lives on Don and Scarlet. It was so very encouraging to see how much RBC loved Don and Scarlet. We know they have had a lasting impact on the lives of the people at Ridgecrest!

Getting ready to board the plane...Owen was an amazing little traveler!

Owen met Papa for the first time

We celebrated Kaleb's 15th birthday on Saturday

Thanks to Amy for our family pic!

Amy and Owen

Owen and Spencer...they are only 12 days apart!
It was great to meet our new nephew Spencer!

Don's retirement dinner

Kolson

Emet
(We enjoyed the warm weather and playing outside!)

Kelsey and Ava

Owen and Spencer

We also celebrated Don's birthday on Sunday!

My Sweet Kids

2011-03-08T16:30:00.001-05:00

The Past Few Weeks...

2011-03-08T14:51:00.005-05:00

We have been very busy around our house the past few weeks...here is a little look at what we have been up to!

We had a day when it was 60 degrees...we took advantage of the warm weather and went out for a walk/bike ride/scooter ride. This was Emet's first time really riding his bike. He needed a lot of help. He hasn't quite mastered the pedals yet, so Jon did a lot of pushing!

Ava's Scooter

She loves Owen!

A night with Daddy...Ava is in the zone, watching a movie...

Emet is also in the zone....

and they are both under the tent!

Sweet Owen

Playdate with our friends

2 Week Stats

2011-02-18T08:38:00.002-05:00

We went for Owen's two week check on Tuesday (he was actually 2 1/2 weeks on Tuesday and is now, as of yesterday 3 weeks old). His pediatrician had nothing but good things to say, and for that I was very thankful. He is gaining weight, growing longer and has good reflexes! He was alert and cooperated the entire time she was checking on him. We are thankful for his health and growth!

Owen's Two Week Stats:
9 pounds and 8 ounces-65%
21.5 inches-70%
Head Circumference 38.5(not inches)-75%

Thankful...

2011-02-12T20:04:00.004-05:00

for Mom's stay and help!!!

that Dad was able to make a short visit to meet Owen!

for a two week old son who is happy and healthy!

for sweet friends at Gorman who sent an amazing package filled
with goodies for Owen, gift cards and surprises for Ava and Emet too!

friends. The Millers came by for a visit today!
(I LOVE this picture!!!)

Owen...One Week Later

2011-02-04T21:26:00.007-05:00

We have had a wonderful first week with little Owen. He was one week old as of yesterday. What a bundle of joy he. We are beyond blessed by our son. Ava and Emet LOVE him and are great helpers. They want to help me do everything from picking out clothes, to wrapping diapers up, to being "trash man" and taking the diapers to the trash can. I'm thankful that they love him and want to be involved in every aspect of taking care of him. Sometimes even feeding is a family affair...tonight I was feeding Owen with Ava and Emet on either side of me. We are loving every minute with Owen. He has adjusted to being home and for the most part is eating and sleeping well. We are thankful to have Mom here to help. She has done some home improvement projects for us, entertained the kids and cooked. What a blessing! Dad came into town today and we are thankful he was able to make a trip, even if it is just for the weekend. Jon and I are proud parents...of THREE, wonderful, beautiful children. I still can't believe we are a family of five!

Fohawk

Have I mentioned that I love my babies?

Sweet!!!

A Tiger and a Mountaineer...gotta start him early!

Batman Boys
Emet is obsessed with Batman.
I thought it only appropriate for the boys to have matching shirts!

Welcome to the World Owen!

2011-01-27T20:54:00.011-05:00

Last night we headed to the hospital in Boston, right as it was starting to snow! Mom made it in just in time and went with us. Abbey came over to stay with the kids. We were hoping to stay at the hospital and not get sent home...we got our wish! I was in active labor and they checked me into a labor room last night around 10:30. Eight and a half hours later we welcomed Owen Jon Chasteen into the world! He weighed in at a whopping 9 pounds and 4 ounces and is 21 inches long. I was thankful to have a wonderful nurse, a great doctor and a husband and mom who helped me make it through labor and delivery! Abbey had the kids last night and most of the day today. They really enjoyed the snow and had a blast playing in it. Tonight the kids were able to come up and meet their little brother! They were so excited to meet him, hold him and love on him! Thank you for praying for us and rejoicing with us as we have added the newest member to our family!

A view from the delivery room...LOTS of snow!
Jon loved watching it snow through the night as we waited for Owen's arrival!

Welcome to the world little man!

Proud Papa

Not so happy

Granna

Sweet Owen

Our little Tiger!

I was exhausted, but so thankful to be holding him in my arms!

Emet and Ava holding Owen for the first time

We are thankful for Abbey and her help and love during this time.
She is such a blessing to our family. We all lover her so much!

Sweet Kisses

Ava loving on Owen

Love this one!

A big day in the snow for the kids...Abbey took great pics!

I think we have at least 30 inches in our backyard...CRAZY!

So much fun!

Snow Bunny

Thanks Abbey!

2011-01-21T10:49:00.004-05:00

Our kiddos had a blast with Abbey while we were away for the night. They spent the entire morning on Saturday playing in the snow. She got some great shots of them! I think she spoiled them...they are going to expect marathon play time in the snow now! We appreciate Abbey and how much she loves and cares for our kids!

Emet

Ava

They even went to the playground. Emet did some crawling
because the snow was so deep it was hard for him to walk in it!

Celebrating Late

2011-01-21T10:35:00.004-05:00

Jon and I were able to get away last weekend for a late anniversary trip. We went to Hull on Friday night and enjoyed dinner at a local restaurant and a night away in an ocean front hotel. We were thankful to have hotel points to redeem and use for a "free" stay at the Clarion. Hull is a gorgeous coastal town and we enjoyed driving around on Saturday before coming home. A huge thanks to Abbey for keeping our kiddos so we could enjoy a special anniversary trip!

Sunrise from our balcony

38 weeks...I couldn't be more ready!

I think my belly has grown SO much these last few weeks!

View from our balcony

An island that is closed expect only to the residents who live there!

Looking over the town

Catching Up

2011-01-21T10:29:00.002-05:00

We are blessed to have good friends here in Medford! My friend Katie and her little boy came over for lunch one day. Ava and Emet LOVE Nathan. We enjoyed getting to spend some time with them. We've also been getting more snow...surprised? We won't see the ground until the end of March at the rate we are going. Emet loved the snow this time...which we are thankful for!

Ava, Nathan and Emet

That's a sidewalk on the other side of the huge snow pile!

Measuring Snow...we got about 14 inches this time!
(As I write we are getting more today...maybe up to 8 inches today!)

A Week Later...

2011-01-01T20:21:00.004-05:00

Today it was 53 degrees outside...and what did Jon and the kids do? They built a huge snowman! The snow in our backyard has stuck around. No direct sun hits the backyard so Jon, Ava and Emet had a blast building "Frosty" today. Emet even enjoyed the snow...he was out there the whole time helping and playing!!!

Working Hard

I'm glad he had fun in the snow today!

Meet Frosty

8 Months Pregnant

2010-12-31T23:16:00.003-05:00

We are one month away from my due date. I can't believe we will be meeting our little man in just 4 weeks...maybe sooner! As the days and weeks progress, I get more and more ready. I'm definitely feeling the aches and pains of pregnancy and will be glad to trade those for a sweet little boy to hold in my arms!

My sister-in-law, Liz, and I are due 9 days apart. Here is a shot of
our bellies. It's fun to think about our boys growing up with a cousin
so close in age! (I'm on the left and Liz is on the right!)

8 Month Belly Shot

35 weeks

They love to kiss on their little brother!

Boston Blizzard

2010-12-31T22:56:00.006-05:00

For those of you that know Jon, you know how he loves to watch the weather...especially in the winter. He LOVES snow and when there is any kind of leaning toward a snow storm, he is watching the weather websites and studying the models. Needless to say, the storm that just hit us, had him very excited! We documented our adventures in the snow through pictures. I think he may have even kept a journal on the computer of how much snow had fallen through the night of the storm! He is thankful that Ava shares his love of snow. Emet, however, would rather sit inside and watch from the window!
Our anniversary was also on the Monday of the storm. It's hard to believe we have been married for seven years. I am thankful for a husband who loves the Lord, loves me and loves our children. He is a blessing! We didn't get to do much since we were burried in snow on Monday, but Tuesday we took the kids to my doctor's appointment then went out to dinner as a family. We hope to get away for a date night soon! Love you babe!

The calm before the storm...we went to Home Depot to get yard
sticks to measure the accumulation and a shovel to clear the driveway!
The snow you see in this picture was from our previous storm.

Emet's idea of enjoying a snowy day!

It's coming down!

He enjoyed looking at it from the
inside, but didn't want to go out in it!

A view from our door...normally you could see our driveway and our neighbor's
driveway. They are completely covered in snow. Thankfully though, our road
gets plowed and was already clear when we woke up on Monday morning!

Measuring...we got about 12 inches, but the backyard had big drifts!

Jon and Ava dug tunnels out and made pathways through our backyard!

She was outside with Jon for about 2 1/2 hours playing and helping
him. I think she would have stayed out all day if we had let her!

We are thankful for our neighbors who are gracious enough to let
us use their snow blower. It made clearing the driveway much easier!

Merry Christmas from Medford!!!

2010-12-31T22:05:00.013-05:00

This was the first year since we have been married that we were in our own home for Christmas Day. We enjoyed time as a family and had a relaxing, refreshing day. On Christmas Eve we went to church and the kids and Jon decorated a Gingerbread house. Jon and I did a lot of wrapping after the kids went to bed. On Christmas Day we read the Christmas story, opened gifts, had a great breakfast and then went to church to serve a meal to the homeless. We truly had a blessed Christmas! Merry Christmas from Medford!!!

On Christmas Eve, Jon and the kids continued a tradition in our home.
They built a gingerbread house. Ava and Jon worked hard, but Emet
seemed to eat more of the candy than he actually put on the house.

Concentration

Finished Product

Evidence of his love for candy

Smile

They had so much fun!

Our living room on Christmas Eve

Christmas Morning

He went straight for the Gingerbread House and asked for candy...go figure!

Reading the Christmas Story...after we do this, we put Baby Jesus in the manger.

I love my babies!

She was so excited to get a watch!

We let each of the kids shop for the other.

Ava gave Emet this bucket of
animals and a box of sea animals.

He gave her makeup...she loved it!!

What was I thinking?

He was thrilled to have his own "real" basketball!

The bike...when he opened it he said "I got a bike."
He has been talking about riding a bike for months!

She was so excited about her scooter!
She woke up from her nap before it got dark
so Jon took her out to ride. Emet slept a
little longer and had to ride in the basement later!

North Carolina Christmas...Durham

2010-12-31T20:07:00.012-05:00

We enjoyed Christmas in Durham with Jon's family while we were in North Carolina. All 17 of us were at Don and Scarlet's house for a few days. It was fun to see all of Jon's family and to be together for an early Christmas. We appreciate Don and Scarlet opening their home for us all to take it over! We all went to the last Durham Christmas Pageant on Saturday night. We went to church together at Ridgecrest on Sunday. We saw Chronicles of Narnia Voyage of the Dawn Treader and exchanged gifts on Monday. The kids also enjoyed time in the hot tub! On Tuesday, Nana and Papa treated the kids to some play time at Monkey Joe's. It was good to be with family! We also were blessed to see some of our dear friends from Gorman. We were able to see Larry and Janet Perry, Cindy, Tammy and Logan as well as Chelsie and Brittney. We were reminded of how much they mean to us and are thankful for quick visits with them.

This is not from this year...but 2008 on Christmas Day at Jeremy and Liz's house. I happened to get another picture this year with our five kids on the couch again...check out how much they have all grown. Next year we will have to add two more...our little boys are soon to arrive!

2010

Carson and Ava

Ready for the pageant

Nana and Papa with the grandkids

Family Picture

Kelsey entertained the kids with this!
She pulled them up and down the hallway.
They all loved it!!!

Hot tub time!

Adorable

Lydia clung to Kelsey while we were in Durham. I love this picture of them!

Kolson and Ava

Exchanging Gifts

We love these girls and were thankful that they came by for a visit!
Ava, Chelsie, Emet and Brittney

Deuces

Monkey Joe's

Bryn and Ava had a blast playing together on all the bouncy houses!

Only 3 months apart...almost exactly the same height

Cousins
(Lydia-2, Emet-2, Bryn-4, Ava-4, Kolson-6, Carson-6, Kelsey-10, Kaleb-14)

They all love Amy!

Cindy, Logan and Tammy stopped by for a visit!

North Carolina Christmas....Hickory...A Few More Pics

2010-12-31T19:51:00.007-05:00

The day we left Hickory we went to Kellie's for breakfast. Our kids, Kellie's boys and Leigh Ann's boys "drew names" this year. We let the kids give each other their Christmas gifts. It was a sweet time to watch them give. We loved having this special time with our dear friends!

Emet loved his Batman PJs from Davis!

Eli gave Ava this adorable hat...Laine, a friend of ours made it.

Sweet Ian

Ava, Davis and Eli

Ava and Walker