{ One Half Year }

 How can it be six months ago already that we became parents of a daughter?  We are halfway to a year and yet it feels like only yesterday that she was a newborn. 

Kathryn, you are smiling so much these days.  That is what people comment on most, just how happy you are.  It's true.  You hardly ever cry.  You're so easy going.  

You're close to sitting up, but sometimes I think you're going to crawl first. 

You love tummy time and it amazes me how quickly you can roll all the way across the room.  

You are teething and chewing on everything, not to mention keeping us at night, but you're a pretty good sport about the discomforts of getting those teeth.  

You're loving food and it is pretty entertaining to see you covered in baby food.  It's a messy business, but food on your face is adorable at this age!  

At 15 lbs. 14 oz. you're the most kissable, huggable, squeezable baby ever. 

You're still a daddy's girl, and I'm sure you always will be.  

 What a blessing is ours, little 6 month old you!

{ A Day of Our Life }

 Sunday morning began at 4:45 am for me.  I am not a morning person.  I know a lot of people get up early because they enjoy it and there are plenty of people for whom 5 am is a wonderful time of day.  Again, I am not one of those people!  Theoretically I like the idea of getting up before everyone else does, having my space to read my Bible, journal, have a cup of tea, but in reality I'd much rather be in bed asleep.  Since becoming a mom, I am trying to learn to accept and perhaps genuinely enjoy early mornings, because some days the day just starts early, like it or not.  Today was that day for me.  It turned out to be a very sweet time with my baby girl.  I'm learning to relish these times, because time just with her are rather few and far between.  It was very sweet to have her fall asleep next to me while I read the Bible to her.

                                      Coloring before breakfast.            I still can't quite believe we have two kids at    the table in highchairs.  What a blessing! 

 After church I was so tired I could hardly stand up.  My husband ordered me to the couch and he read both of his girls to sleep.  What a guy!

When everyone woke up we walked downtown.

 We spent a little time at the library, which was pretty special.  It was the first time to be there with Daddy.  This picture makes me want to tickle that little belly!

 Grilling after working up an appetite.  The kids stayed busy while we cooked.

Kids in bed!  Tim and I enjoyed the evening by the outside fireplace and watched the sun set.  

It was a good day.

{ High Street Weekends: A Family Affair }

For sometime now, Tim and I have been considering joining forces to do this blog together.  Writing is a mutual interest of ours and this spot is a story of my life, of our life.  Why not take turns writing here?  I think our kids will appreciate both perspectives as the years go by.  So, though I will continue to do the majority of blogging, I'm sure, may I welcome my wonderful husband here as this spot transitions to "Our Life on High Street"!  It is fitting that our first post together should come after a weekend spent with his college friends that took place a couple of weeks ago, over Memorial Day weekend.  The floor is yours, Tim.
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Even before I met Anna, there was the innate desire to share this beautiful house and yard with others. When Anna and I joined in matrimony we both tried numerous ways to host social events at this historic Victorian style house with a wonderful back yard. There had been successes and lots of misses in our attempts to open up our home and share with others.

Through all the attempts we have always had families come and stay with us. On one such occasion, Memorial Weekend 2011, my college buddy Rob brought his family over to our house for the weekend at my begging and pleading. I was so impressed with the family visit that weekend that I realized how much greater this was than the other social events we’d hosted. Recently these weekends have felt like the old church retreats I grew up going to. There’s so much more than just socializing and catching up. You have time and proximity to sow into each others lives all over again. The fellowship has more time to grow deeper and to extend across the whole family. Kids learn about each other and have time to become friends. The spouses of established friends have time to establish their own relationships. Unfortunately for the men visiting, I’m ashamed to say, it also gives me more time to put them to work.  My wife often complains (and rightfully so) about how I end up putting someone to work. Thank God Rob is such a great buddy, because I have worked that poor man to death on some of his visits. Usually it is cooking, which granted, is his passion.

When Memorial Weekend 2012 came around this year, my poor buddy Rob again answered my beckon call to come over with his wonderful wife and kids. Everything started out like a normal family weekend with kids running amuck. Our son was playing and interacting to a whole new level with their boys. He was honestly rough housing for the first time with other boys and I was blown away with the deep belly laughs and that smile that permanently affixed to his face as he tickled, wrestled and jumped on the older boys and was in turn ambushed. We took everyone for a walk around campus on Saturday and then out to the grizzly bear pens. The food was amazing the whole weekend. Rob and Anna put together a phenomenal southern style dinner of oven backed spiced chicken and collard greens.

In preparation for this weekend, I thought a few of the old college mates still in the area might enjoy a get together in the backyard for a bbq and visit with Rob on Sunday, after church. Rob loved the idea and phone calls were made. By Saturday night, what was supposed to be 10-12 old friends was now over 25. As it turned out, one of the families of six that were invited, happened to have another family of six from the same time period visiting them so we said they were welcome.  Another friend who had been invited, a dynamo of energy who motivated us all through that time of our lives agreed to come down from the big city. She called while she was driving down to let me know she was bringing four college students. Oh boy…It just kept getting bigger and better. More people were recognized at church and invited and 33 people were present when all was said and done.

  Our friends brought their dog along.  He's not very big and you'd hardly even know he's around so it cracked us all up when he all of a sudden decided to take that cat on!  He just stood there barking and barking at it, telling it who was boss.  We couldn't stop laughing!  He wasn't that brave when we later visited the live grizzly bears, though.  He was quiet as a mouse! ~Anna

Rob had again offered to work the grill magic for us. At first I was planning on doing that so he could visit and relax. That didn’t last for long and Rob and I had to go for a late night run Saturday evening for chicken, dogs and burgs. He worked his marinade and spice rub magic till late that evening.

After church, we were frantic getting ready for the meal. Nothing quite went according to plan, but I think that it was a good time had by all. Kids were running amuck and neighbors were helping. The weather was too windy but only one wine glass was a casualty of the gusts. This turned out to be three times bigger than anticipated and it really drained us all.  I have struggled with the whole idea of what happened. It appeared that God was behind it all but it just drained us. Rob and his wife worked way too hard but a really good time was had by many people. I hope God was glorified and those there greatly edified.

 I was absolutely numb with fatigue after the fact. Rob and I sat down by the fire outside and smoked cigars and didn’t say much of anything. I had worked that poor man to death again.

 When they said good bye on Monday I was sad to see them go but glad for the day of recovery for Anna and I. These family visits are invaluable for us and I can see that they have the potential to be a major part of our children's lives as the year's go by. In turn these weekends could also be an important part of the lives of the children from the other families as well. So much more work and preparation go into these weekends but these High Street Weekends make memories to last a lifetime not only in the young but also in those of us who are not so young. To our friends who have shared in our home, and especially to all the guys who have endured my buddy-do-list, thank you and blessings from my home to yours.

{ Unclaimed Treasures Day }

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Very few people know this, but today is a holiday.

Eight years ago the first Sunday in June was named "Unclaimed Treasures Day" by Nikki and me, with the support of several other single young women and Chelle (our married supporter).  Our imaginations apparently had no limit!  We were getting rather anxious to be married and frustrated with feeling a little left on the wayside.  We decided it would be best to create a holiday just for single girls, to create romance for ourselves and make our single years full and rewarding and worth celebrating.  Following is some of the correspondence that passed between us as we worked diligently to create this holiday.  I do hope Nikki and Chelle forgive me for including their letters.... :)   

Originally the idea was to name the day Eligible Maids' Day. 

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Drumroll, please....brrrrum brum brum....

As of yesterday, May 22 2004, there is an important new holiday which we are all compelled to observe with utmost propriety and reverence. In the course of a conversation betwixt the lovely ladies Anna  and Nikki, these two observed that there be holidays in abundance to celebrate nearly every conceivable type of person: Mothers have Mother's Day. Fathers have Father's Day. Grandparents have Grandparents' Day. Everyone has a birthday. Married folk have anniversaries and Valentine's Day. 

They also made another grave and troubling observation: There is no holiday to celebrate our particular species, the unmarried woman, the unattached young lady, single girl--in a word, the Eligible Maid. This, my gentle readers, is a travesty. It is nothing less than a shame to our society, indeed to our whole civilization, that we have no special event, no day, no sacred remembrance to honor these pillars of modern society, the axis about which young men (theoretically) spin, the fountainheads from which so much poetry, weeping, tearful conversations, and troubled prayers in the middle of the night spring forth--the Eligible Maids.

Determined to rectify this shameful situation, Misses Anna and Nikki herewith proclaim the First Sunday in June to be henceforward celebrated as Eligible Maids' Day. This year, the first year in which Eligible Maids' Day will be celebrated, this holiday shall be observed on Sunday the 6th of June. Mark your calendars, and consider yourselves warned. All Eligible Maids (EM's) are sweetly encouraged to send Happy Eligible Maids' Day cards to the EM's of their acquaintance, and those who are not EM's are also free to send such cards to the EM's of their acquaintance as well. No other obligations are required of you, gentle readers, than to send Eligible Maids' Day cards to your Fellow Eligible Maids.

These sweet, gentle, and emotionally volatile creatures known as Eligible Maids need as much support as we can muster for them. Please, remember Eligible Maids' Day...or they might come after you with meat cleavers.

Respectfully,

Nikki, The Self-Appointed Secretary of the Eligible Maids' Day Committee

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There was more discussion, and we came to the decision that this name wasn't suitable.  It then became Unclaimed Treasures Day.

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The E.M.'s who have thus far been informed of this new holiday are, in alphabetical order:

Miss Anna

Miss Bethany

Miss Hesper

Miss Nicole

Miss Susan

I cannot guarantee the receipt of a note of encouragement, sympathy, despondence, etc., shall be received from each E.M.; I, for one, intend to include each lovely lady in my E.M. Day remembrances. I have also informed Mrs. Michelle of this holiday, should she feel inclined to honor any of the many E.M.'s of her acquaintance.

I am quite taken by your suggestion that we change the holiday's name to Unclaimed Treasures Day. Eligible Maids' Day is a bit unwieldy, both on the tongue and with the fingers, and it rather sounds as though we consider ourselves scullery maids (hair done up too tight, faces pinched out of shape) till Prince Charming recognizes us through layers of grime and soot--and scullery maids do not seem to me to be exactly the acme of "eligible." Unclaimed Treasures Day has a decidedly more romantic sound, and rings with promise--for if we are indeed Treasures, is not our hope that we shall someday be Claimed a well-founded, indeed a justified, one? On an entirely personal level, I should rather prefer to be an Unclaimed Treasure than an Eligible Maid. What say ye, Miss A.?

I sincerely hope I have succeeded in answering your inquiries, Miss S. I do hope that you shall not hesitate to contact me in future, should any further issues requiring more than one head (and yours is a most capable head, by the by) broach the surface.

Respectfully Yours,

Miss N.

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A response from our married supporter

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Brilliant Ones-
What wonderful minds you all have!  Splendid Idea...but I think we should have all eligible maids send cards to all eligible bachelors as well as to their own ...! Ones that say...."WAKE up...bachelors that sleepest and Christ will give thee "a" (my addition) LIFE (and life=wife or so says my man...only because it rhymes I say)...hope that isn't disrespecting God's word. Please tell me if you think it is. But you know how all those books on courtship talk about being "asleep" or how the Song of Songs talks about not waking love till its time has come. Funny how that is almost always directed to us girls, who are usually the ones that need the love sedative...not the male sector, most of which live in a constant & snoreful, dead-to-the-girl-and-all her-lovelinesses-I-am-terrified-of-commitment-don't-know-what-I-am-missing...sleep. So maybe we should also, for the sake of gender equality have a national  Eligible Bachelors (E.B's) Day  in addition to  Eligible Maids' Day....he...he..we could call it National Scaredy-Cat Day....sorry if I sound a little bitter....but do you blame me? With all my absolutely gorgeous and desirable single girlfriends I just can't fathom how totally blind the E.B's are...and how positively REVOLTING & nasty the un-E.B's can be...Well...all that said, You are absolutely on to something very key in CELEBRATING your singleness...it is most worthy of a holiday and most worthy of CELEBRATING!
In Fierce Defense of all E.M's,
 Mrs. Michelle

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For the next several years, on the first Sunday in June, cards were exchanged.  We were all separated geographically by then, so it wasn't very feasible to spend the day together, but a conscious effort was made to celebrate our lives as single women.

Maybe you know some Unclaimed Treasures!  Today would be an excellent opportunity to give them a call, take them to lunch, send them flowers.  And now that you know, don't forget to mark your calendars for next year!