~ rain, spider, phone, stroller, rocks, tv, Elmo, stairs, clock, ride, chair, moon, sun, octopus, num-num (food), come here, outside, play, toys, hotdog (she is finally liking them!), hug, down, sticker (shicker), pee-pee, cracker, cookie, diaper, wash, brush, shake (the verb), airplane, light (as in a lamp, etc), butterfly, cheese, truck, bus, grass, tree, balloon, fork, spoon, giraffe, ice-cream, and bubbles ~

Whew...

Every other peep out of her mouth lately has been "What's that?" She has started letting me know what she wants by saying things like socks off, down, walk, eat, water, milk, snack, and done.  She says "again" when she wants to do something again.  She also says "there" as sort of a word that states her satisfaction...like she'll place something on the table and say "there".  She also asks her babydolls if they are okay when she thinks they are hurt...she says "you okay?"  Many times when eating she wants both a fork and spoon whether she needs them both or not.  She is starting to say "mine", but I am trying to steer her away from such a possessive word.  She'll tell you that a car says "vroom".  She says "Gappa" or "Gaqua" for Grandpa...I think she also uses it for Grandma, but not sure yet.  She knows most of her body parts and can point them out to you...hair, head, eyes, nose, mouth, tongue, teeth, chin, cheeks, belly, belly button (calls it "beep"), bottom, knee, leg, arm, foot, hand, fingers, toes.  She knows many animals and their sounds...dog, kitty, cow, sheep,crab, bird, fish, turtle, octopus, snake, bear, giraffe, lion, pig, bug, butterfly, spider, goat, and bunny.  Last time we were at Craig's parents' house, Natalie had put her grandpa's hat on her stuffed kitty and then said "kitty-meow-hat-Gappa" all at once. 

She loves singing and tries to participate in songs such as "Patty Cake", "Twinkle Twinkle", "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "You Are My Sunshine", "If You're Happy And You Know It", "Old MacDonald", "Little Bunny Foo Foo" and "The Green Grass Grew All Around". 

 

 

 

Aug 1 ~ Craig took off work today because his back was giving him trouble.  It was nice having him around the house!  In the early evening we all decided to go over to the North Liberty pool for a cool dip...I figured it would also help stretch out Craig's back a bit.  It was a good time until we had to leave...Nattie wasn't too pleased about that and was sure to let us know!

 

Aug 2 ~ Laura and I met up at the mall with our babies tonight.  We ate in the food court and then went down to the play area.  Nat and Madelyn sat in highchairs across from each other.  At one point they were playing peek-a-boo together and just giggling and giggling!  It was so awesome to see them actually engaging with one another instead of just the usual parallel play. 

 

Aug 3 ~ Natalie and I decided to meet Ashley & Jake at the North Liberty Library/ Rec Center for a few hours of fun!  Wednesday is a pretty popular day there...that is when storytime takes place.  This was the first time we had been to the library here in North Liberty ( we've been to Coralville and Iowa City), so we arrived early to set up a library account for our family.  Story time was really great...a lady read a book about a worm family who recycles their garbage.  After the story we went across the hall to the gym to play with all the cool toddler toys.  It was almost as if it was our own private Hearts In Touch hangout!  Most of the women in there happened to be members of HIT, so it was an instant reunion.  Let's see...there was me and Ashley, Angela, Brandi, Molly, and Janna!  We discussed how our summers were going and what may be in store for the fall session of HIT. Angela had some HIT flyers with her (she is so organized!), so we handed a few out to other women there and told them about the group.  All the kids were playing really well together. Natalie joined right in playing on a teeter-totter toy with some other children and was all smiles.  Thankfully, she has been pretty good at sharing...she rarely hits, pushes, or grabs...but she does have her own way of expressing her "wants"...if someone has a toy she fancies she has no problem walking right up to them, standing as close to them as she can get, and just staring them down until they either: A) hand over the toy B) cry or run away C) push or hit her.  She is sure a stubborn little thing!

                  We had such a good morning and afternoon...wouldn't you know that Nat would give me trouble in the evening?!?  And wouldn't you know it had to be a night when Daddy was golfing?!?  It got to the point that I had to get us out of the house for awhile.  So after dinner I loaded Nat into the van and off to the mall.  Yes, we do go to the mall often...it's just really convenient and it's such a nice mall.  Mommy had just enough cash in her wallet for a scoop of ice-cream...yum!  I was only planning to stroll around with Nattie and window shop, but I happened to run into two items I'd been searching for.  The price was right so I purchased them...they are Christmas gifts...so now I have a headstart on my holiday shopping! 

 

 

Aug 4 ~ Natalie and I spent the morning working on a project together. We have been looking through old magazines and cutting out objects that interest her...well, I do the cutting part and she just points them out :)  We are going to paste the pictures into a notebook so Nat can look at them whenever she pleases. 

             In the evening we babysat Jake so his parents could go out on a date.  The two kids played mostly with the cars and blocks.  Jake is kind of a sensitive little fella, so he was missing his parents quite a lot.  So we just tried to do our best keeping him occupied and getting him to smile here and there.  Natalie was thrilled to have someone her age to play with!

 

Aug 5 ~ Natalie and I ventured over to the Hyvee grocery store in Coralville to recycle our cans and plastic bottles.  This was her first time recycling...she enjoyed watching the machine "eat" the cans and make a crunching sound!  We had quite a bundle of cans, but well worth the $20 we got back :)  Afterwards we played at the park and chased the ducks around.  Soon it got very hot, so back home we went. 

 

Aug 6 ~ Nat and Craig slept in this morning as I got up early to do some bargain hunting!  It was opening day for a new consignment store here in North Liberty called ReRuns.  I wasn't too impressed with the prices and selection, but did put my entry in to win a mall gift certificate...wish me luck!  I also stopped by the Goodwill and found a couple cute skirts for church, some tops, and a pair of like-new brand name jeans...best part was that much of what I bought was only 88 cents a piece...can't beat that!  Also found a few items for the dress-up box that I'm putting together for Nattie for Christmas. 

            In the evening, we were invited to Brian and Shawn Pierce's house for a cookout.  We also stayed to watch the HooverFest fireworks...HooverFest is held each year in West Branch, which is the birthplace of Herbert Hoover who has been the only president from Iowa.  Natalie was able to play (and fight over toys) with Luke, and we all got to munch on some really good food.

 

Aug 9 ~ The Kroegers watched Natalie while Craig and I went out on a date!  Nat and I rode in the van over to Steffany's house, while Craig followed on the motorcycle.  So that gave me and Craig a chance to take the bike out for a spin...something we haven't been able to do together in quite awhile...can't really take a toddler on the motorcycle with us!  We went to Colonial Lanes to bowl a few games and then over to McInnerny's Pub & Grill for a bite to eat...awesome hamburgers!  It sounded like Nattie had a super time playing with Gabe as well!

 

Aug 10 ~ Craig's brother, Mike, drove out from Dallas to our house to spend a couple days!  Natalie has only seen him a handful of times, but didn't take too long to get comfortable with him. She now says "Mike"!  In the afternoon, Nat and I met up with Steffany and Gabe for storytime at North Liberty Library. The kids were pretty restless during the story, but were happy to run outside and play on the gym equipment. Later, Nat and I took Bailey to the vet for a routine shot...lots of kitties and doggies to look at!  On the way home we stopped at Wig & Pen to pick up a pizza for dinner...yum!  Craig and Mike golfed in the evening before coming home to eat.

 

Aug 11 ~ Ran across a good quote today from the journal of our pastor back in Normal, Illinois.

This is what it said:

** Someone once said, "No desire will ever be placed in you by the Holy Spirit unless He intends to fulfill it. So let your faith rise up and soar away to claim all the land you can discover." our problem falls in the area of believing God and that He is able. May we draw to Him and see His hand. **

I just thought I'd share in case someone may be needing that today!  I know I've had some issues I've been struggling with recently, and reading that makes me feel uplifted!  So pass it on if you know someone who needs to hear something good!

Craig and his brother were scheduled to play golf this morning, but had to postpone it till later because of the rain.  Though the rain was good news since our lawn is very crispy and about the color of sand!  Oh, did I mention that this week is basically all about the great sport of golf for the Essington brothers?...well, it is :)  Anyway, as the rain fell we all decided to have a late breakfast at The Village Inn.  Craig and Mike were able to have their golf game in the afternoon, while Nat and I did laundry and napped.  In the evening we had a meal over at HuHot since Mike had never been there before.  We followed that up with ice-cream at Cold Stone Creamery (of course)!

         I think Uncle Mike is very surprised at how Natalie has grown!  She is just talking non-stop and singing all the time.  Her newest word is "motorcycle" and she even has a sound that goes with it. She also says that a clock says "tick-tock" and a train says "choo-choo".  Oh, and I am so excited that she says "Jesus"!...she has an Easter book that has a picture of Jesus in it.  Her favorite song to dance to right now is the theme from JoJo's Circus.  She is really into her dolls and loves to take their outfits off...so we have a bunch of unclothed dolls scattered all over our house...Natalie calls them "nakey babies".  The other day she sat them all in a row so they could watch a television show with her!  She cracks me up!  She has been mommy's helper lately...she likes to hand me clothes from the laundry basket and picks up her own toys most times. She also loves to help scoop out food for the dog dish and place the dish on the dogs' mat.  Her recent naughty activity has been pulling leaves off mommy's houseplant!  Nattie's hair is getting so long...have you ever tried to trim the bangs of a squirmy almost-two-year-old?...don't mention that they look a little on the uneven side lately...I am fully aware of the situation and am not good with criticism...haha!

Aug 12 - 14 ~  On Friday, Craig and Mike got up early and drove to the Quad Cities to play golf.  They played at a course called the TPC at Deere Run.  Craig said it was both challenging and fun!  I spent the morning trying to pack bags while keeping Natalie entertained.  Around noon time I had all the luggage, both dogs, and Nat loaded into the van...we drove out to the golf course to meet up with Craig and then we all drove down to our hometown of Bloomington/Normal, Illinois for the weekend.  Mike spent most of his weekend attending a friend's wedding, so we didn't see much of him...but we did get to spend time relaxing and being with Craig's parents. Nat kept asking "Michael, where?".  She also kept busy playing peek-a-boo while saying "I see you!" over and over...it was cute! Over the course of the weekend, Nattie discovered that she loves cherry tomatoes.  Natalie wasn't able to play outdoors too often due to rainshowers, but did have fun playing with the bubble-making gun a few times. The entire family had lunch together on Sunday after church, which was nice. 

Aug 16 ~ Craig did some really nice things for me today!  He made the bed before leaving for work...which blew me away, because even I don't get around to making the bed most days!  And then when he came home he asked if I needed some time alone to get out of the house for awhile...which I was very grateful that he aksed, but I didn't really feel like getting out...so instead he gave me some alone time by giving Natalie her bath and putting her to bed.  I was so happy!

              Boy, is our schedule getting full for the fall!  I just keep writing things down on the calendar...I need to be careful to make sure not to overbook our family...I like us to be well-balanced and not too completely busy without time for relaxation.  Some things coming up for the fall include:  For August- Craig will be wrapping up this season of Pearson golf league, plans to start painting our basement, and is hoping to get into a night class at University of Iowa...though it depends which classes still have openings available. (Craig is thinking of going for his MBA degree!)  As for me, regular rehearsals for church choir resume this month.  For September - Craig and I begin an 8 week session of a new members class at our church,  Hearts In Touch mothers group starts up again, I will go to my first meeting of Iowa City Junior Service League, and I am hosting a Lia Sophia jewelry party at the end of the month.  For October - this brings us to Natalie's second birthday and with it comes her two year well-baby appointment with the doctor!  And don't forget Halloween :)  For November - we'll be ready to get Nat's second year pictures and our annual family pictures taken.  Then it's time to gear up for the holidays!  Whew!  We are hoping that the rest of the year will be fun and exciting!

Aug 17 ~ What a full day!  Natalie and I met up with Ashley and son Jake at the Ped Mall in Iowa City this morning. Of course, no surprise I was running late getting there...chronic tardiness has been a downfall for me ever since I can remember :)  But I am working on it little by little, and I have improved a bit with age.  A few of the HIT ladies were there with their children as well.  Jake and Nat weren't very active when it came to playing on the gym equipment or in the fountain, so after awhile we buckled them back in their strollers and walked over to the Old Capitol Mall. It was cute...the kids kept peeking at each other, saying "I see you", and giggling!  We stopped for coffee at a place there called T-Spoons and then over to Sweets and Treats for a candy fix.  Sweets and Treats is one of the few places I've run across that sells Seattle Chocolates brand...it is one of Craig's favorites, so I picked him up a dark choc/coffee bar and placed it on his pillow as a small love token...hehe! 

             I am so excited!!  I received a phone call from Angela Wildes who leads our Hearts in Touch mothers group at church.  She invited me to become a small group leader for the upcoming 2005/2006 sessions!  She explained that the women on the board discussed how they felt that I'd be a wonderful candidate to lead.  It made me feel so honored and pleased to hear that some of the ladies felt that way about me...I had really tried hard to "put myself out there" for my first year in HIT.  I can be shy at times, but was determined to get past that feeling and strive to be social, approachable, and just true and real.  So I accepted Angela's offer to be a leader!  As well as a leader, each group also has a mentor mom - usually an older, more "experienced" mother that offers her support and wisdom...I suggested that if possible I'd love to be paired up with my mentor mom from last year (Amy Smellie) so that I'd at least have her close by as someone that I'm already familiar with.  Angela thought that was a good idea and could be arranged.  I have never been a leader for something like this before, so I am quite nervous...but at the same time I am so looking forward to diving right in!  I only hope that I can do a good job and help make it a great year for our small group!

             Later in the evening I discovered why Natalie wasn't too enthusiastic about playing earlier during the day...she was coming down with a bad cold.  It's been awhile since she's had one, so it kind of threw us all off a bit.  It was golf league night for Daddy, so Nat and I drove over to Culvers for dinner and a free scoop of frozen custard.  Natalie had restless sleep on and off the remainder of the night since she was feeling so icky.  One nice thing lately has been that Natalie is into being rocked again!  For the past week or so she's been asking me "Rock??" during nap time and sometimes before bed.  So we get comfortable in the green glider chair that's always been in her room and we rock together...something we haven't done since she was very tiny.  She snuggles her chest up against mine and drapes her arms around me and I wish it could go on like that forever....

Aug 18 ~ What a trying day!  Natalie's little nose was constantly running, and she was so emotional and tired most of the time. I gave her a warm soak in the tub after breakfast...she loves that Johnson's Soothing Vapor Bath when she isn't feeling well.  We ran an errand at the bank and then was planning to go grocery shopping.  As soon as we stepped into Walmart, Nattie was all tears and snot running down her face...hanging on to her Mama for dear life so she wouldn't have to sit in the grocery cart!  I felt so bad for her...so we turned right back around and just went home. Craig spent the afternoon in Cedar Rapids attending a Pearson employee event...a Kernels minor league baseball game.  He came home early as soon as the game let out...which turned out to be a good thing since now he has a cold as well!  So my two sick ones stayed home for the evening while I made my way back out to Walmart to do the grocery shopping. 

Aug 19 ~ The dogs got a bath today...first time in a long time (shame on me)...good thing they are short-haired dogs and don't require a bath too often!  Natalie enjoyed watching them get all clean, but was a little perplexed at why the doggies were in "her bathtub"!  Our family went out to Mondo's for dinner since we had some gift certificates that were about to expire. Our little girl is going through a terrible phase of not wanting to sit still in public for too long...the days of her just sitting all quiet and content in her baby carrier have slipped away :) 

Aug 20 ~ Craig spent his morning, noon, and night playing in and supervising the annual Pearson golf league tournament.  Brian Pierce was his partner in crime this year...from the sounds of it they didn't play as well as they had hoped, but the tournament was still an overall good time for the employees.  As for Natalie and myself, we had a gals afternoon of shopping and lunch.  Did some window shopping at Sycamore Mall and stopped for something to eat at Panera.  Natalie was still sick and I figured some warm bread and soup would comfort her, but she was not at all interested in it like I had hoped. Before heading home we stopped at Target for some medicine, more bubble bath, and a babydoll that Natalie could play with in her bathtub...she has been tempted to sneak her cloth-bodied babies into the water with her lately.  I was surprised - it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be to find a doll made of all plastic...do they not make them as often as they used to??...after much searching we eventually found one.  Nat had a great time dunking her new dolly in the water and pretending to wash it.  But now the new problem is that she wants to take her dripping wet baby with her throughout the house after bathtime...so we are learning what toys stay in the bathroom and what toys stay outside of the bathroom. 

Aug 21 ~ Today was the party for Lucas Pierce's second birthday!  Wow, how these kids are all growing up around us!  We are very blessed to know quite a few families who have children around Natalie's age, and it is so mind boggling to realize how fast the months just fly by!  And it is interesting to see the differences between young girls and young boys.  Yes, I take joy in the fact that Nattie is pretty balanced and likes everything from purses and dolls to balls and bugs.  But you really notice the difference when you go to a boy's birthday party and 9 out of 10 gifts is a toy train or toy car!  So after observing that I really couldn't help but admit that Natalie is generally a girlie girl and her little male friends (like Luke, Jake, and Gabe) are generally very boyish.  And I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that...I just think that no matter how you try to stay away from male/female stereotyping, in most cases kids are going to tend to veer towards the toys and activities that are most common for their gender.  I think males and females are just naturally wired in different ways...I mean, there are always exceptions...just my own rambling observations here. Though I absolutely believe that both boys and girls should have the access and the freedom to experience all types of toys and activities.  For example, I can't stand parents who won't allow their sons to tote a babydoll around or allow their daughters to get their clothes messy...what's with that??  Anyway...I'm way off subject here and need to jump off my soapbox...haha!  Luke's party seemed to be a success!  It was a Thomas the Train theme. We gave Luke a box full of art supplies as a gift. All the kids enjoyed watching him unwrap his gifts, and there was never a dull moment reminding the children to share!  Oh, and Daddy taught Natalie how to say "Happy Birthday" today!

 

Aug 23 ~ Ashley had told us about Mercer Park in Iowa City, so that is where Nattie and I spent our afternoon.  They have all kinds of swings and a couple different areas of gym equipment that are a really nice height for toddlers. We played for a long time and also blew some bubbles that I had stuck away in my purse. 

           Craig started his first night class tonight at University of Iowa!  He is allowed to take up to three classes before officially applying for the MBA program.  The class he is taking right now is called "Dynamics of Negotiations".  He told me all about his first night, and it sounded like he likes the class so far. He was also surprised to see quite a few of his colleagues from Pearson in the class...part of the class involves small group work, so they have all kind of banned together for that :) 

              As Craig was hitting the books - Natalie and I were hitting the streets of downtown Iowa City!  We met up at The Brown Bottle restaurant with Laura Schafbuch and daughter Madelyn.  I had warned Laura that Nattie wasn't doing too well lately in restaurants...and of course Nat had no problem backing that up!  I had her in a booster seat, but she kept wanting to stand up in the booth.  Worse yet, she was being very loud and had the urge to throw sugar packets across the room.  Luckily we were seated in the back of the restaurant, they were not very busy, and Laura was able to find the humor in my darling daughter's antics!  What a night!  We followed dinner with some play time at the Ped Mall gym area and some ice-cream at Whitey's. 

             What else is new with Nattie?  She is still saying new things all the time.  She'll point to framed artwork and say "picture".  She is starting to learn the difference between "on and off" and "up and down".  She loves stickers right now - they keep her occupied for a period of time, so maybe I should keep a stash in my purse!  She has learned how to lock the doors in the house by pushing the little button on the knobs...now I'm just waiting for the day when she locks herself into a room!  She has been giving the greatest hugs and now kisses on the lips.  If there is somewhere that she doesn't want to be (like the carwash for example...sometimes it is scary) she makes it known by asking "Go?Go?".  She loves to hear her own voice...loves screaming and being able to hear herself above anyone else. Natalie loves to be just like mommy and daddy...she is always putting on our shoes and I even caught her pretending to put on Craig's deodorant the other day!  When I put on my makeup, she is right there waiting for her own little dab of blush or lipstick...and she likes it when I spritz her wrist with perfume (she calls it "smellies").  Her newest naughty behavior has been pinching.  She only really does it to mom or dad...it was the same way when she went through her hitting phase.  I have been having a hard time with some of her negative behavior lately...I keep having to remind myself that her behaviors aren't always a direct reflection of my mothering skills.  Others help to remind me as well...their kids are going or have gone through the same thing...it's just that age. It's just trying at times, because we all want our children to be happy and to have good manners. When I step back and breathe, I do realize that Natalie is generally well-behaved, bubbly, and just simply a beautiful human being!  I guess you just have to take the good with the bad sometimes :)

Aug 24 ~ Took Nat over to storytime at North Liberty library...that lasted all of five minutes.  We had to leave due to Nattie being super wiggly and wanting to stand up in front of everyone and sing during the story. Oh well...it's a miracle lately that I can even leave the house...haha!  Since we were already out and about, we just decided to stop at Coral Ridge Mall for playtime and lunch.  Natalie was excited to run around the play structures with the other kids.  I stood way off to the side to watch her...soon I see her looking around in a panic and mouthing "MaMa? MaMa?"  I called out to her and she came running as fast as her little feet could take her with the biggest look of relief on her face.  Have I mentioned lately how in love I am with my baby girl? :)

Aug 26 ~ Rachel Waul invited me to a Mary Kay facial party tonight.  Rachel and I used to work together at Pearson - she was in the warehouse and I was right across the hall in order processing.  She is now a stay-at-home mom with two children under two years old.  I had run into her again a few weeks ago at the North Liberty Rec Center where we talked for awhile and exchanged phone numbers.  The Mary Kay party was fun...I came away with a mint scented foot lotion and a microdermabrasion kit that I've heard works wonders on your pores! 

Aug 28 ~ Craig heard there was going to be a fly-in at the airport in Iowa City today.  So we all headed out there to check it out.  There wasn't as much going on as we had expected, but it was still neat to walk around and look at the airplanes.  Natalie was able to see some up close and watch them take off.  We have been playing around with the idea of taking Natalie up in the air soon in the plane that her Daddy flies. 

              Nattie and Daddy relaxed at home while I attended my first yoga workout.  I chose a place in Coralville called Bikram yoga...they do hothouse yoga, which is where they turn the heat up in the room to about 105 degrees!  Most of their class sessions run about 90 minutes long...so you basically practice stretching and breathing exercises while sweating your buns off for an hour and a half.  It may sound harsh, but I found it very soothing and relaxing.  It is really serene...there is an instructor guiding everyone, but you are still able (and encouraged) to take it slow and just concentrate on doing each posture the best you can and not worry about comparing yourself to others. I've been researching yoga for awhile and have read that it is good on so many levels...it can help your muscles, blood flow, stress/anxiety, depression, etc.  And the high temperature of hothouse yoga allows for a safer stetch and the release of toxins in the body.  Right now I am taking advantage of a 10 day introductory offer, but if I continue to enjoy it I may just stick with it. 

         If you could, please be praying for my dad. A house that he rents out caught on fire a few weeks ago...so he is in the process of having to fix it up. My dad was doing some welding in the basement when a fire started and went up into the wall causing a fair amount of damage. The house is actually the same one my family lived in throughout my entire four years of highschool - it's on Division Street for those of you who may remember. So just pray that he'll have both the energy and finances needed to make repairs.

 Also be in prayer for the family of my friend Ashley Williamson!  Her parents live about 30 minutes north of New Orleans. They have had to flee their home due to the hurricane going on there.  So please pray above all for their safety, but also for minimal damage to their house.  Thanks!

Aug 29 ~ Nat and I met up with Steffany & son Gabe (and their dog Bugsy) at Kent Park this morning!  Kent Park is located between the towns of Tiffin and Oxford.  We put the kids in their strollers and walked for about 45 minutes, then finished up with some time on the playground equipment.  Natalie heard different kinds of birds and kept trying to imitate them...it was hysterical and she was amazingly not too bad at it!

Aug 30 ~ This was Craig's second night of class. He's very happy taking the course and feels he is already gaining some useful information.  And I am happy that he is happy!

Aug 31 ~ Today was such a full day!  Had my first leaders meeting for Hearts in Touch this morning.  It was exciting to hear about what is all in store for this upcoming year, but I also couldn't seem to shake feeling nervous about leading my own group next week!  I did end up with Amy Smellie as my mentor mom/partner so that helps...also learned that Steffany will be in my group again, but the rest of the mothers on my team are going to be new aquaintances for me.  Our small group has a total of 12 moms...and will probably grow as new women trickle in.  We talked about how to welcome people into our group and what our responsibilities are as group leaders. We found out there are going to be a few readjustments this year due to the church going through it's current changes and also just due to some of the HIT ladies who have some good ideas. The two biggest things I learned today were #1- Don't allow the mothers who arrive as strangers leave as strangers and #2- As far as being a leader...God isn't looking for someone who knows everything, just someone who says "use me!".

            I suppose I should touch on what some of those changes are that are going on at Parkview Church lately.  Before it was 3 morning and 1 evening service on Sunday.  Now it is 2 morning services on Sunday and a service on Saturday evening.  I guess after doing some observing of our own church and researching what other churches were doing, this schedule may be what Parkview needs to keep the members they have and also to bring in new members. Something about the fact that once a church reaches a certain capacity it can become stagnate unless there is some reconfiguration taking place.  They have also turned the atrium into a coffee house setting where people can enjoy additional fellowship with friends after certain services...the room has been painted all these rich brown colors with artwork on the walls and cute seating arrangements.  I am not always one for change, but am realizing that I'm kind of proud of the fact that Parkview people are not afraid to try something new while still keeping with their core beliefs!

                   Nattie did really well in the nursery during my meeting.  I was afraid for a second there, because she was so devastated when I dropped her off...but thankfully she perked up and had a good time.  When I arrived to pick her up she let out a bright and cheery "MaMa!!"  We stopped to get gas and some groceries.  I can't believe the price of gas since the hurricane!  It took $45 to fill up the van and would have been more if I had waited any longer!  Though I suppose we should be grateful that we still have our lives, loved ones, and homes unlike the hurricane victims.  I told Natalie I'd buy her some stickers while at the store.  So she picked out some Nemo ones and kept busy sticking them to her body, clothes, and the shopping cart.

                  In the evening, I came back to church for choir rehearsal while Nat and Daddy stayed home.  This was our first rehearsal for the fall, and we are starting with a really nice set of songs!  We also partcipated in a getting-to-know-you exercise.  We ended rehearsal by getting into small groups and praying for those dealing with Hurricane Katrina.

                  After choir I met Steffany at Barnes and Noble for coffee and a gals meeting.  She also invited Kim Anderson who I'd met a few times at HIT and a lady named Heather Brezinski who I'd met very briefly once at the park.  We discussed having a game night once a month at each others' homes and set up some dates for that.  We also tossed around the idea of a ladies' night out.  So we'll see how it goes. The Andersons have two little girls - 2 years old, 11 months old.  The Brezinskis have a son - 18 months.

    

 

 

 

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