The Journeys of James and Kristie

Packages!!!

2012-02-16T02:00:00.000-06:00

When you are having a bad day, or your toddler is sick and does not want to move, very few things get you as excited as getting a call from your Postman on your mobile phone! (Yes, we have our Postman, Bhoskar, in our contacts--remember what our Post Office looks like--we are just thankful your packages even get here!)

We are so thankful that Rebekah's Granny and Aunt keep us regularly supplied with goodies for her (There are so many the pictures would overload our blog's capacity). The unexpected packages from an old friend or far-away relative also make us smile.

This was the haul from one of our former Sunday School classes in Tupelo!

A little bit of everything for all of us!

Then Uncle Martin and Aunt Lisa sent Rebekah a beautiful doll (right in the middle of her sickness that made her just lay around and whine all day) and

some of Seattle's best chocolate (it did not last long!), just like they had at their wedding.

Disclaimer: While we do not encourage packages just due to the cost of mailing them, we certainly will not discourage them either.

Valentine's Day, South Asian Style

2012-02-14T04:17:00.000-06:00

Rebekah dressed in pink and red hearts to celebrate Valentine's Day.

She was so proud to wear the new outfit to her school.

But she was a little tired when she woke up, and not even imported Hershey's chocolate from the USA could get her excited when first waking up!

But she was sweet opening her gifts and reading her cards.

So despite the mischievousness she often displays,
(see below in the red, demon-eyed picture)

she wished everyone she saw a Happy Valentine's Day!!!

And a Cake Made For Kings...

2012-02-12T22:37:00.000-06:00

In Hattiesburg, or New Orleans, we would just go to the store (or bakery, if we wanted to spend a little more) to buy a King Cake.

But, despite finding a very Mardi Gras-like costume for Halloween,

Mardi Gras is not very big here is South Asia.

So, Kristie made her first attempt at a homemade King Cake. The reviews were glowing

And we are sure the Cakes will only get better with time, practice, and a touch of Gulf Coast memories added in.

Like Father, Like Daughter?

2012-02-07T23:16:00.000-06:00

Rebekah bore a lot more resemblance to James when she was younger and did not have any hair. But even if she does not look as much like him now, they still share some tendencies...

Although Rebekah apparently did not think it was as cold as James did on a chilly winter night here in South Asia, they share an affinity for playing games on iPads/iPhones.

School Begins Again

2012-01-29T04:11:00.000-06:00

Rebekah has been attending some type of daycare or school since she was 6 weeks old. However, none of those schools were in South Asia.

And none of those schools gave out awesome uniforms!

Which Rebekah loves to show off for the camera.

The Evolution of a Bathtub

2012-01-26T22:50:00.000-06:00

Bath time has always been fun for Rebekah,

even back in Old School times when she used to sit in the sink.

After moving to South Asia,

we discovered quickly that bathtubs are very rare.

We had a literal bucket bath.

Then moved to a big laundry basket.

And finally moved to an imported

(through a package from the USA),

$4 dollar pool.

The Hope for The People Next Door

2012-01-25T10:04:00.000-06:00

We have mentioned the hopelessness of so many people here in South Asia (see here, here, and here).

But we are hopeful.

Our prayers here, and we hope your prayers for the South Asians here, is for a movement of multiplication. We are encouraged to work alongside so many South Asian workers whose faces will never be seen on a blog. With such a massive target group (over 18 million people with almost no exposure to Truth), we will never be able to share our message of hope one village at a time.

But with these South Asian companions working and training and seeing those they trained train others, even to 4 and 5 generations of multiplication in a short amount of time, we have hope.

Really, South Asia? Part 3

2012-01-18T04:11:00.000-06:00

We grew up in the 1980's, when all of the action movies pitted the hero Americans against... the Communists of (insert country here).

What would Rambo and Bruce Willis and Arnold and Steven Seagal think of the rallies around our town recently?

We "proud Americans" thought Communism was long dead...

Ponies!!! (Everything is Smaller in Darjeeling)

2012-01-16T02:29:00.000-06:00

Darjeeling is one of the "hill stations" here in South Asia, which basically means the city was built on a hill, so there are a lot of ups and downs and a lot of cramped spaces. We realized this when we got into our hotel room (up about 7 flights of stairs) and Rebekah was almost as tall as the door...

and James kept bumping his head on the bathroom ceiling.

Rebekah begged us to ride the horses in the town square, which were also smaller than normal horses. Rebekah informed us we were too big to ride them, and that she could ride them for herself. So the first day she rode Jesse,

and the second day she was an expert as she rode Sweetie. We told you we were totally tourists this trip!

A Zoo at the Top of the World

2012-01-12T03:00:00.000-06:00

These monkeys were cold, and so were we.

You know we love zoos. "Love" may actually not be strong enough a word. Everywhere we go, we go to zoos. And luckily for us, Darjeeling has one of the best zoos in South Asia.

Just knowing we were so much closer to where all of these animals actually roam wild made the zoo that much more interesting. This zoo has many of the same standards of Western zoos in regards to caring for and helping sustain the wild populations of these animals.

The zoo has a large collection of red pandas,

big cats,

yaks and bears,

and the world's only breeding program for the Himalayan Wolf.

A Love Feast

2012-01-10T03:00:00.000-06:00

Although the name might sound foreign to some of you in some places of the world, "love feast" is quite biblical (see Jude 12). And here in South Asia, they take their love feasting very seriously, enjoying a time of reflecting on the year and good fellowship.

Rebekah enjoyed some vegetables

Eating plates of rice and lentils with her hands

And buckets of goat

All spent with good friends and family.

How to Create a Spectacle in Darjeeling

2012-01-08T23:06:00.000-06:00

Take one adorable fair-skinned toddler

Add one white American Southern lady

And one bearded, dark-skinned Native American

Dress them up in bright traditional clothing of the region while 30,000 or so South Asians are passing by.

We have gotten a lot of requests for Rebekah's picture to be taken, and even had one request for a family portrait from a total stranger last week. But one would have thought we were celebrities judging by the requests for entire families to take pictures with all three of us when we put on the traditional clothing.

I mean, we look good, but it got a little ridiculous.

Birthday Party for Jesus

2012-01-04T04:22:00.001-06:00

Around Christmas, we could very easily forget that holiday feeling. Although it gets chilly in the nights, during the days the weather is dry, dusty, and sometimes even hot.

Rebekah would always tell you WHY we were celebrating Christmas, especially since she played with her mangers almost constantly, coming up with all sorts of unique worshipers of the baby Jesus.

But we added to the holiday season with a lot of cookie baking. People do not really exchange gifts here in this mostly non-Christian society, so we just gave away a lot of baked goods and told a lot of people about why we celebrate Christmas.

And among all the baking, we baked (for the second consecutive year), a birthday cookie-cake for Jesus, which Rebekah and her friends thoroughly enjoyed decorating and eating.

A Year in Review

2011-12-31T04:00:00.001-06:00

We have come a long way in the past year.

From our little apartment in Mississippi, and enjoying the holidays with our family...

to South Asia. Although it gets very chilly in our apartment in South Asia during nights in December, we wanted to get more of the winter feeling, so we took a few days to go up to the mountains near our home.

We will have much more to post in the coming days about our little get-away for New Years, but could not wait to show you some of the scenery here.

The view from our room

Mrs and Mr South Asia

2011-12-29T10:19:00.000-06:00

Our good friend told us we looked like Mr and Mrs South Asia all dressed up in our garb and sporting the serious faces.

We were not going for that look, though, but rather dressing up for a Christmas party sponsored by Asha Bari (House of Hope), the group Kristie works with trying to help exploited women at a brothel in our town.

Several different Government and Non-Government Organizations attended the event, which was full of singing, speeches, and a unique "puppet dance".

But no matter what your opinion of our clothes is, promoting such a worthy cause was worth getting dressed up for.

Christmas Morning in South Asia

2011-12-25T03:41:00.000-06:00

Santa came early in the hours of December 25th to South Asia (after his stop in America, according to what we told Rebekah--we were not sure if all the internet items would clear the tax department on time, so we had to think of something...).

When we awoke, there was an abundance of presents under the tree--95% of which were for Rebekah, which is fine. This was, in some ways, a "replacement" Christmas for Rebekah, since we were replacing some of the bigger items we had left in the USA with South Asian versions.

Her look of shock/confusion/awe/joy is classic!

We proceeded to Skype with some family back in the USA while we opened presents.

Christmas for us was much as it would be in the USA, with Kristie getting iTunes cards, books, and CDs,

James getting books and shirts,

And us relaxing and enjoying the best part of the gift-giving portion of Christmas:

Watching Rebekah play and giggle and play some more.

Christmas Eve in South Asia

2011-12-24T12:41:00.000-06:00

Instead of settling in at some relative's house, we spent Christmas Eve where no person in the USA would dare to venture--the mall!

But it actually was not too crowded. Many of the malls, stores, and even Christian homes wait until the week of Christmas, or Christmas Eve even, to decorate.

And it is amazing that in a country with so few Christians, so many people are fascinated by, and even pose to take their pictures with, the baby Jesus in the manger.

After our mall adventure, we came back home and baked Santa some sugar cookies, settled in with a bowl of popcorn, and stayed up way past our bedtimes.

But it was worth it hearing the excitement in Rebekah's voice as she got Santa's Coke and cookies laid out and prayed for Santa's cookies as she went to sleep.

Really, South Asia? Part 2

2011-12-22T01:54:00.000-06:00

Christmas is a special time for friends and family, and we definitely miss our families during our first Christmas overseas: the parties, the food, the fun, the games, and the updates on friends far away.

Although we cannot be with many of you this year, we still enjoy getting the updates, including a few Christmas cards that have made it halfway around the globe to South Asia. But, if you mail a card or package and it does not make it to us, let us explain why.

This is the street with our post office, where you might have to chase cows away from your laundry drying in the street.

And this is our post office. We did not get this unglamorous angle on purpose. In fact, this is the only thing about our post office that would make you think it was a post office rather than just steps up to an old building.

Really, South Asia? Part 1

2011-12-20T09:56:00.000-06:00

With so many cows and water buffalo everywhere in South Asia (especially on the roads), you really have to watch your step. These cute little animals often leave quite a mess.

I actually heard an argument recently that sites such as the one below are not good for the environment because the dried cow and buffalo chips are burnt instead of reused as fertilizer.

But to us, seeing the spread out, drying dung does not make us ask why people would pollute the environment with those things as much as...

... why would you dry your clothes right next to them?

Throwing Yourself A Birthdy Party?

2011-12-16T23:08:00.000-06:00

Kristie is all about holidays and birthdays and parties, so it is very unfortunate for her that she married James, who is not. She has thrown multiple parties for James, and in South Asia she continued her long tradition of throwing herself a birthday party.

Kristie baked herself a few small cakes (due to the size of our ovens, as seen at Thanksgiving), which were very good (even though the white cake mix was egg-less vegetarian).

We invited a few of Rebekah's friends, as well as some of our national friends,

And enjoyed Domino's Pizza (yes, the real Domino's Pizza, although they do not deliver where we live)...

And chocolate cake.

The Need of the People Next Door

2011-12-12T22:12:00.000-06:00

"You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are rest-less till they find their rest in you."

--Augustine of Hippo, Confessions 1.1.1

We believe every person, including all of the "Faces Next Door" (see here and here) who we are attempting to minister among during our time in South Asia, are seeking to calm their souls' restlessness by clinging to their religious traditions.

Yet visiting the holiest site on the "holy" Ganga River a few weeks ago, we saw no hope, but only sadness.

Besides a lot of trash on the ground, we saw remnants from the worship of Kali and Shiva...

Remnants of the cremations of loved ones, whose ashes are distributed in this holy river...

A priest maintaining the shrine (to us it just looked like a small room with no furniture where incense was burned) to one of the gods...

The idea of worship we saw while visiting this site was totally foreign to us. We saw a lot of tradition and a lot of devotion, but little hope...

Opryland Hotel

2011-12-09T01:09:00.000-06:00

Because we were in Nashville for a work conference, we splurged and spent a couple days in the Opryland Hotel. The hotel is so big, and mostly self-contained, that it is just much easier when you stay there.

We had stayed in the hotel for the same conference when Rebekah was just a few months old, and here she is between the same two horses.

This time Rebekah also liked watching the light and music show,

Riding the escalator up and down repeatedly for no apparent reason,

And just hanging out with family in the hotel's gardens.

It's Beginning to Look...

2011-12-05T01:09:00.004-06:00

... a little like Christmas, as evidenced by

Our Christmas Tree

Okay, so it is not really that bad. Some of you have heard the struggles we faced about trying to make our 80 degree days feel like Christmas. But between borrowing a tree from co-workers who will be out of the country for December,

buying weird garland and Diwali lights in the local market, and importing some of our favorite ornaments in our suitcase, we had a decent looking Christmas tree.

Rebekah got into helping us with the ornaments (she liked to put all of the ornaments in very close proximity),

And even decorated her own tree... with great concentration, as you can see.

Faces of the People Next Door, Part 2

2011-12-02T22:05:00.000-06:00

Please remember the people living in our target work state. As we gave the statistics of the population and poverty (and, historically, the corruption) of the state, we never wanted to get overwhelmed and forget that each face has a story.

A story of need...

A story of desire...

A story of searching...

A story of pain...

A story of determination...

A story of hope...

Daily Encounters with Animals

2011-12-01T01:09:00.001-06:00

Sorry, but nothing exotic to see here, especially since we did not get pictures of the two cobras we saw (not in our house, though) in our first week in our new town. Saw some monkeys on a road in the mountains our first week, but mostly we just see...

Dogs--Mostly just the stray dogs who sleep wherever they can and are your best friends when you throw out your food scraps, but which you would never let the kids touch.

Goats--Cute

and Cows, Cows, Cows (and their cousins, the Water Buffalo)

Even the birds are just used to hanging out with the cows.

They really just stand in the middle of busy intersections, or lay in the road.

But nobody hits them with their vehicles, although Rebekah likes to chase them down the road by our house.

Gigi

2011-11-29T02:21:00.000-06:00

We were so thankful that we got to stop by and see Rebekah's "Gigi" before moving to South Asia. We did not have as much time as we wished we had to spend time with all of our friends and family, but Rebekah enjoyed her time chatting with Kristie's Grandmother and walking around with her.

Other Nashville Sites

2011-11-26T09:57:00.000-06:00

We had all kinds of fun on our trip to Nashville! The city offers tons of things to do.

For our "last hurrah" before moving to South Asia, we rented a Grand Caravan--the stylish minivan that can hold 7 passengers comfortably. We loved it, and it took us up to and around Nashville with no problems.

We visited Civil War sites...

Former Plantations (Belle Meade is pictured)...

Cooter's Dukes of Hazzard Museum, with the General Lee present...

And Kristie and James revisited the Willie Nelson and Friends Museum (we consider ourselves among his friends), which was one of the highlights of our honeymoon back in 2003.

Thanksgiving in South Asia

2011-11-24T09:33:00.000-06:00

We hope all of you are enjoying Thanksgiving, wherever you are this year.

We were conflicted about how much to share about our Thanksgiving here in South Asia, because we want all of you to know that we actually have friends and family to spend our time with during this holiday, but we also didn't want you to see how good we have it and think we were living too cushy a lifestyle!

So, just think of having to cook your entire Thanksgiving dinner in an "oven" this size.

And there were no turkeys to be found in our town, so we had to cook two of the hormone-free chickens found here (i.e., small chickens).

But man, we had some good food: Stove Top Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce, and French's Fried Onions for the Green Bean Casserole (all three imported through visitors from the USA in the past year) topped off the homemade rolls, mashed potatoes, pecan and pumpkin pies, sweet-potato casserole, and smoked pork loin (or some piece of a pig--pretty unidentifiable by shape).

Watching these cute kids play and eating all that food made our families feel holiday-like in a town of 1.5 million people where maybe 20 Americans were celebrating Thanksgiving.

And although there was no American football, we did get in a game of basketball and eat enough to fulfill another American Thanksgiving tradition...

Country Music Hall of Fame

2011-11-17T22:36:00.001-06:00

During our trip to Nashville, we also spent a day exploring the Country Music roots of the city. We actually spent our honeymoon in Nashville, although it was much colder and we were much younger back then.

As we were on our honeymoon, we were in awe of the history contained in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Rebekah was not as enthralled by all the members of the HOF as we were, but she did pretty good for the three hours we spent there.

There was a great exhibit on Hank Williams and his family's impact on country music. We even got to read all the lyrics for Hank Williams, Jr.'s Monday Night Football lyrics before his gaffe got those lyrics pulled from MNF (he recorded them all at the beginning of the year).

And, just like on our honeymoon, we visited the Ryman Auditorium...

And we have now become a family act.

Faces of the People Next Door, Part 1

2011-11-15T04:23:00.000-06:00

We live in an idyllic little town. However, our primary purpose for being here is actually not for work here in our state, as much as work needs to be done here.

Rather, after we learn the language (or languages) spoken around here, we hope to devote much of our time to a neighboring state where the work is non-existent in most villages. This year's census gives the population of this state at over 100 million people, while it is smaller in area than the state of Kentucky.

Numbers can overwhelm, though. Each face has a story.

South Asia: Our Hood

2011-11-13T20:52:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Gorkhaland.

The name of our neighborhood is actually seen on the entrance sign here: Agam Singh Nagar. We actually live in a pretty nice little neighborhood (as seen from our apartment's view) by the river on the outskirts of our town.

So what is Gorkhaland? Well, the name of the new state as proposed by the separatist movement popular in Agam Singh Nagar. Saying you live in the middle of a separatist movement is not the most calming thing to family back in the USA, but it is actually pretty benign. You see rallies occasionally, but mostly just the Gorkhaland flag flying on the top of most building here.

Then there are the faces of our neighborhood: nice people who speak no English (other than numbers, since we discuss the prices we pay them), but have great smiles and are good to practice the language with.

Our rickshaw driver...

The shoe repairman...

And a local store owner...

Walk about 2/3 of the way into the neighborhood and you'll see our building, of which we occupy the third floor.

Nashville Zoo: Lorikeets Are Awesome!!!

2011-11-11T05:00:00.002-06:00

Ever been in one of those increasingly popular Lorikeet-feeding exhibits at your local zoo? They are just cool, and while you are paying a dollar for a couple ounces of sugar water, having these little birds eat from your hands and walk on your arms is worth a dollar.

Rebekah was a little nervous at first, so she had daddy hold her.

And momma looked a little nervous with her outstretched arm...

But, as with most things, Rebekah got used to it and did not want to leave, letting the birds suck up every last drop.

South Asia: First Views

2011-11-09T05:00:00.003-06:00

Living Room View

We have been on the ground in South Asia for just over a month. We had no expectations of what our town would look like, smell like, or sound like.

Master Bedroom Window View

We were pleasantly surprised. Imagine the fresh air of the mountain cabin where you pay to go on vacation, with the cool mornings and green scenery outside the window. That's a little bit of how we feel--although we aren't used to people doing their laundry and hanging out 15 feet from our master bedroom window.

I guess just thinking of the mass of people in South Asia, we did not expect so much open space and green. But just a short drive outside our city revealed all kinds of nature.

Many more pictures will come in the next few years, so check back often.

D.C. in September

2011-11-08T05:00:00.003-06:00

While our trip to Washington, D.C. in August was simply for our own enjoyment, our small group was intent on experiencing other cultures during our day in the capital city in early September.

What better way to experience other cultures than to walk down Embassy Row? We came upon our old friend Mahatma during the beginning of our walk.

We came to the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C., and despite its one tall spire, it was not as impressive or as busy as we thought it might be.

Rebekah got a little bored with our cultural exploration while at the Islamic Center, though, and started climbing on the gate. At this point the imam, who we'd heard was very interactive with visitors, had his only interaction with us in telling Rebekah to get down. I'm sure he's seen two-year-olds, though, so we weren't too worried that we'd offended him.

We ended our walk at the National Zoo, where we saw much more of the Giant Pandas than we had during our previous trip.

We visited a nice Lebanese restaurant, an Indian clothing store (where Kristie got some jewelry that has gotten many positive comments since actually coming to South Asia), and watched all kinds of nationalities interact in the Metro and at Union Station.

School in Virginia

2011-11-04T05:00:00.001-05:00

While we were in training for 2 months in Virginia, Rebekah was having an awesome time at her school--don't call it a daycare; they are much more than a daycare.

Along with the other six 2-year-olds in the class, Rebekah played and played and played, but also learned some songs that she would sing and do the motions for repeatedly.

She also learned all about the country she was going to, as well as those that the other students were moving to.

Although the kids were split up at the end of our training, it's good to know Rebekah has friends whose parents are impacting life all over the globe.

Animals

2011-11-02T05:00:00.002-05:00

Rebekah's school in Virginia brought out a few small animals for a petting zoo while we were at training, and all of the kids enjoyed them.

By far the two favorite animals at the petting zoo were the "skinny pig"--a hairless guinea pig...

And the miniature pig who all the kids got to feed with a baby bottle.

We also went to see the animals at Maymont Park, a formerly private residence in Richmond that now is a beautiful setting of hills and streams and has all kinds of animals, from farm animals to bears to bald eagles.

We had more walking than we planned, but we all enjoyed the time of fun with our friends.

Halloween in South Asia

2011-10-31T05:00:00.010-05:00

We have never been huge Halloween people, although we have nothing against the holiday. Rebekah has just never really been old enough to walk around and collect candy (although her recent discovery of candy and chocolate would make this a definite trick-or-treating year if we were in the USA).

Instead, Rebekah has dressed up in a boy costume (last year) and a girl costume (2009) when she was Thomas the Train and a Flower. She also enjoyed carving pumpkins in the past.

In our new home, several of the ex-pats got together so the kids could have a "dress-up party" during the Halloween season. Several of the mothers also got involved, and with our limited costume selection, Rebekah went as a cheerleader (thank you for choosing to be something girly again this year) and Kristie went as a New Orleans Saints fan, complete with a Mardi Gras-like mask purchased in the local market here in South Asia.

We went to the party with our friend Susan the peacock and her children, Natalia the princess and Judson the pirate.

The children posed together before the party, and at the party Rebekah got to decorate sugar cookies (she just wants to eat it off the knife, you can tell!).

And, with Kristie's help, she got to decorate South Asia's miniature version of the pumpkin.

Holidays: South Asian Style

2011-10-28T08:14:00.000-05:00

Kristie loves holidays, and some of her lowest moments in our new home on our new continent is that Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other "American" holidays will be celebrated differently. Luckily, however, within our first month in South Asia, we got to encounter the biggest of holidays.

Think of the lights of Christmas, the fireworks of July 4th (without any restrictions on setting them off in city limits--or even on your own rooftops), and the neighborhood Krewes around the Gulf Coast of MS & LA coming together to construct the best displays during Mardi Gras.

With that in mind, we bring you Diwali...

AKA, "the festival of lights." Driving around looking at Diwali lights, the streets were extremely crowded, and groups were setting off fireworks everywhere. There were big, brilliant explosions in the sky, but more often you saw the hectic, dangerous-looking blasts from in front of stores or homes.

This is our building, with the lights strung by our landlord. We live on the 3rd floor, which is the top of the left side of the building. There is a little 4th floor apartment above the stairs on the right side of the picture.

Our little neighborhood built this giant bamboo structure with cloth overlay. In our part of South Asia, Diwali corresponds with Kali Puja (worship of the Hindu god Kali), so you see models of Kali, Lakshmi, and Shiva inset in the middle of the neighborhoods' structures.

Children's Museums

2011-10-27T05:00:00.000-05:00

Rebekah does not need any help with using her imagination.

She loves to make up words to songs she knows, try to think of names for her imaginary brother and sister, and role play doctor or nurse giving vaccinations (hello, international living).

So when Rebekah and several of the toddlers from our training center went to the Richmond Children's Museum (on dollar night--thanks to Target, the corporate sponsor), she experienced all kinds of new things.

Milking a cow, just like her not-so-distant ancestors did...

Exploring caves...

Posing as a tree...

Trying out new jobs, such as weather reporter or bank teller...

(Not sure how old the child was who wrote this message at the bank, but it made us laugh.)

Smithsonian Museum and Zoo

2011-10-24T05:00:00.002-05:00

James said he wasn't really a jewelry guy but even he was a little impressed by the size of the Hope Diamond. We stumbled upon the diamond, as well as all sorts of other educational stuff, at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.

The crowd was huge this Saturday in August, and Rebekah was a little restless. This may be due to the fact that she saw so many strange creatures, whose displays were not really aimed at a 2 year old.

Kristie did make James and Rebekah pose before the totem poles in celebration of their Native American heritage. Stereotyping? Yes, but they were okay with it.

Even in the crowd, though, Rebekah still found reason to smile. Perhaps this was because she had four different adults to swap carrying her around instead of just two. Or maybe she's just happy.

We then rode up to the Smithsonian National Zoo (which is awesome mainly due to the fact that it's free), where the girls all took a picture with the Giant Panda statue.

This picture was necessary because the actual Giant Panda didn't seem to interested in interacting with us that day.

Wet in D.C.

2011-10-21T05:00:00.000-05:00

Even before the hurricane and rains from the tropical storms, we encountered a little bit of weather. "A little bit" is actually understating it--the cool, overcast day became a downpour as we walked from the Zoo to the Metro stop.

But we saw the sights as the afternoon dragged into evening, and thankfully the downpours subsided into light misting.

So here we are wet in front of the White House.

And wet at the Lincoln Memorial (yes, Kristie was soaked to the bone while wearing a white shirt).

To cap off the wonderful weather, the Metro had an issue so we waited nearly an hour underground, trying to keep our 2 1/2 year old fireball away from the subway tracks.

Seattle: Pike Place Market

2011-10-19T05:00:00.001-05:00

Of course, when asking locals or past visitors to Seattle where we needed to go, Pike Place Market was the one consensus choice. It was an interesting market, with a ton of great (and reasonably priced) fruit and flowers as well as normal souvenirs you find at tourist markets.

We saw all the famous sites in the market:

The fish-tossing guys

The pig

And, of course, the original Starbucks.

And, even amongst a lot of interesting characters, Rebekah made herself stand out by doing a very public dance to the music of the banjo and fiddle players in front of Starbucks.

Around Seattle

2011-10-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

We hit the normal tourist sites during our drizzly day in Seattle. Our hotel was right next to the Space Needle, so with such a good view we didn't feel the need to venture to the top (partially for time restraints, and partially due to Grandma Roberts's aversion to heights).

Even the elevated train from the Space Needle to the Mall was a little high for Grandma, but she stuck it out like a champ.

And it was easy to get Rebekah to focus, though, since she was actually riding a train (she loves trains) with so many windows.

We went to the Seattle Children's Museum for a while, just to get out of the rain and tire Rebekah out for our drive to Lake Quinault.

And Rebekah was particularly, and surprisingly, interested in the bakery/cheese factory where you could watch the cheese be made from beginning to glorious end (yes, we--particularly Kristie and Rebekah--love cheese).

D.C. in August

2011-10-15T05:00:00.001-05:00

When we started our training up in Virginia, we took one Saturday afternoon to tour Washington, DC, with a couple friends of ours. We had quite an eventful day. Here is the Washington Monument pre-earthquake.

We took Beth Anne and Caroline for their first adult trips (they are recent college graduates) to the centerpiece of American History, and we took it upon ourselves to test their knowledge of the memorials and museums we took in.

We had a great time riding the Metro to all our destinations.

Rebekah remembered the trip primarily for these "train rides,"

Although the unexpected starts and stops caused her more excitement than she was prepared to handle.

Wedding Day

2011-10-13T05:00:00.002-05:00

What were we at the beautiful Lake Quinault to do?

Only a brave woman would plan an outdoor wedding in the middle of a temperate rainforest. But the wedding went off well, and we were glad to welcome Lisa into the Roberts clan.

Plus we always love any occasion to hang out with the family,

Or have an excuse for James to comb his hair and shave his beard.

Farewell, New Orleans

2011-10-11T05:00:00.014-05:00

Although we flew out of New Orleans when we left the States, earlier we had one final tour of the city. We went to the World War 2 Museum as well as the Civil War Museum (formerly the Confederate Museum, which, though renamed, is still very pro-South in its content).

Although most of the WWII Museum was very sobering and even morbid in spots, to a two-year-old a little role play in the German bomb bunker provides great fun.

Much of Jefferson Davis's personal items are held in Memorial Hall, having been donated by his widow.

From Lee Circle (in case you never knew why it was called that, we give you the statue of Robert E. Lee)...

To the streetcars on St. Charles St., New Orleans will always hold a special place in our lives.

Big Trees

2011-10-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

I don't think we can accurately picture what forests looked like a couple hundred years ago. But our time on the Olympic Peninsula in the Northwest really brought a little glimpse of nature's beauty.

I don't remember the specific type of trees, but I know some of the world's biggest were around Lake Quinault.

Three Generations of Dancing

2011-10-07T05:00:00.002-05:00

While in the Northwest, we had a great time with James's brother Martin and his mother. When Rebekah heard there was dancing where the adults were, she came up to join Uncle Martin and Grandma Roberts for a little time on the dance floor.

Prayers for the Saints

2011-10-05T13:00:00.001-05:00

18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
Yes, and I will rejoice,

19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,

20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Philippians 1 (ESV)

As you are reading this, we are somewhere on our way to our new home, and our new job has begun. Please continue to pray for us.

Newhartish

2011-10-04T05:00:00.001-05:00

Recently we spent several days at a lakeside lodge in Lake Quinalt, WA. Naturally, it was drizzly most of the time we were there in the Northwest.

But the Lake Quinalt Lodge had a very warm and homey feeling. You could just sit in front of the fire and read, or work on a jigsaw puzzle dozens before had contributed toward.

Everything is More Fun in Athens, Part 2

2011-10-03T05:00:00.001-05:00

Many (or most?) towns in the United States have unofficial mascots' statues around their towns. We are not sure why exactly this phenomenon began, except to raise money for city governments.

Naturally, Athens has a bunch of bulldogs sitting around town. Just as naturally, Rebekah wanted to ride the dogs. Still wearing her "R" hat from the playground, she was cooperative in sitting on this dog with children's handprints and signatures all over it.

And she was also glad to ride the patriotic bulldog outside the fire station.

And we even posed with her, although James's polo shirt & basketball shorts style leaves something to be desired.

Everything is More Fun in Athens, Part 1

2011-10-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

On the way to our training at the end of the summer, we spent two days in Athens, GA, with a great friend of ours. We went by a local park there in Athens, and Rebekah thought she was in Heaven.

Maybe it's because she was a little delirious from the traveling, but she was acting like the playground was the best thing she had ever seen. Some of the spinney things on the playground were pretty cool, though.

Then just playing in the sprinkler in the yard also got her excited.

And she expressed some of her energy by actually sitting still long enough to do a supermodel pose on the playground.

The Lives of Parents

2011-09-30T05:00:00.004-05:00

Although she consumes most of our time, we actually have friends of our own as Rebekah's parents.

On the other hand, they are the parents of her boys. Here is a fine looking group of women.

Hope, Kristie, and Jennifer

And a bunch of broad-chested old men.

David, James, and Jay

Her Boys

2011-09-28T21:53:00.000-05:00

As we were leaving Hattiesburg, we spent some precious hours with good friends. Rebekah gets excited about a lot of things, but Gattitown (if you are not familiar, think a cleaner, less hectic Chuck E Cheese) is the place she loves to be.

One of us usually has to keep up with her, but when her "boys" (her term, not ours) accompanied her, she could care less if we were by her side. They were so sweet to her, walking her around and even using their tokens for rides on her!

Not sure what Nate is doing with his shirt below.

Then at Baby Charli's birthday party, the rain didn't spoil Rebekah and Thomas's chance to play in their swimsuits.

And after playing in the rain ceased, Nate and Rebekah, a three- and two-year-old settled in with their parents' iPhones to play some of their games. Kids these days...

Last Night in Hattiesburg

2011-09-17T13:21:00.000-05:00

Okay, not technically. But we were moving around so much, a lot of the "where we were on so and so date" is mixed up in our brains.

We were a little afraid of going through so much transition with Rebekah, but she moved right into her Big Girl Bed. Too many occurrences of Rebekah just walking out of her room after being in her crib made this necessary. But this was the last night in her crib before it was dismantled.

A few days earlier we had given up our pillow-top queen-size bed. Kristie and Rebekah were against the move, though, and getting them out of bed on the last morning was a little difficult.

Packing the Car

2011-09-15T20:23:00.000-05:00

While clearing all the furniture out of our apartment and getting rid of stuff we weren't keeping before our big move, Rebekah discovered all kinds of things to play with. She found Kristie's old straightener and memories of karaoke with grandpa arose in her mind.

When she wasn't being cute, though, Rebekah sometimes got in the way. So, we told her to pack whatever she wanted to take on our big move, and she complied very quickly. She wrapped up some dishes and put them in the container, along with her little people and their car.

And of course a girl has got to have some dress-up clothes, one Sunday shoe, and her cell phone.

Trampoline

2011-09-12T05:00:00.002-05:00

Rebekah was a little shaky when she first got on Brookelyn and Jacob's new trampoline.

She eventually got her legs under her, though, and had a good time with her friends. Then the kids had to get ready for bed, and the real fun began when Kristie got on the big toy.

Fun with Friends

2011-09-10T05:00:00.001-05:00

Rebekah got to spend a few days with some of her friends from school and from Tupelo before we left Mississippi.

Her teacher from this past year was Ashley-Kate,

And her teacher since she was a 6-week-old baby was Mrs. Ilza.

Also since she was a 6-week-old, Rebekah has been a classmate of Addison and Avril.

Rebekah loved to spend some time with her old friend Brookelyn, who serves as a great role model for her.

Finally, Rebekah got to spend an evening of swimming and playing with Bella and Addy.

Painting With a Twist

2011-09-08T09:40:00.000-05:00

In preparation for our move to our training in Virginia, we had a busy couple months. In early June, while James was out of town, Kristie had an evening out with some of her girlfriends in Hattiesburg. They combined a couple of Kristie's favorite things in their do-it-yourself paintings: the Black & Gold of Southern Miss and the Fleur de Lis of the New Orleans Saints.

Despite the instructions of the teachers of the class,

Kristie was still a little confused at the beginning.

In the end, though, she and her girls were all able to create their masterpieces.

Crabfest 2011: The Third Go-Around

2011-08-16T21:20:00.001-05:00

For the 3rd July 4th Weekend in a row (each one of her life), we took Rebekah to the CrabFest in Bay St. Louis, MS, last month.

We started out in the stroller, but that did not last long. Rebekah is now big enough that more than food caught her eyes.

The rides were waiting for Rebekah, so she took a couple turns going round and round in the car.

She also had to ride with Kristie on the potato sack slide to comfort her mother, who appeared a bit scared going over the humps.

And by the end of the evening, she was still pushing around the stroller rather than riding in it. She never stops moving.

Oklahoma's Playgrounds, Railroads, and Pools

2011-08-09T09:51:00.000-05:00

Three of Rebekah's biggest loves are playgrounds, pools, and trains. On Rebekah's travels through Oklahoma, she got to encounter all three. Checotah has a old train station, intact from the late 19th Century, and Rebekah loved climbing on the train (although the Depot Museum was not really captivating for her).

Plenty of kid-friendly parks are also located around Lake Eufaula.

And Grandpa Roberts set up a little pool that was utilized daily, sometimes multiple times, by Rebekah.

Oklahoma Relaxation

2011-08-02T17:18:00.000-05:00

The good thing about rural Oklahoma, at least when you are looking for a little rest and relaxation, is that it is not hard to avoid crowds and malls.

Rebekah learned that she could just hang out with Grandma and color,

Watch Grandpa weed the herb garden while still in pajamas,

Or just lounge in the hundred degree weather for a few minutes, working on her tan.

New Things in Oklahoma

2011-07-29T03:00:00.005-05:00

As the Roberts prepare to move in the coming months, we have been trying to spend some quality time with family. In Oklahoma, at the house in which James grew up, we tried our hand at a few new things.

We may have mentioned before that Rebekah is usually thoughtful and shy in new situations and with new people--for about the first 3 minutes. Then she's just a little crazy. Her first experience with karaoke was no different.

After staring at the microphones, and figuring out what worked best, we started to DANCE. She had so much fun, she has been saying she wants to name her little sister "karaoke". (Don't worry, no little sister is impending.)

And then we tried fitting in Grandpa Roberts' guitar case, just for fun.

More Adventures in Oklahoma

2011-07-27T03:00:00.001-05:00

Rebekah was very excited about seeing her grandpa's "jet ski with wheels" (her description), and begged to ride it every day we were in Oklahoma.

You know Grandpa Roberts obliged.

She also loved that she was able to ride the "tractor" all by herself. She did not weigh enough to keep it from shutting off automatically, though, so James had to walk beside it and push the seat down.

We had a good time, too, and Kristie was especially thrilled that Rebekah's hair finally got long enough to put in pony-tails.

Serious Dress Up

2011-07-25T07:57:00.000-05:00

Oh, the cute personality of a two-year-old. We are getting some of the independence and push-back all parents do from their toddlers.

But she sure is cute. She loves to dress up and tell us what she's doing.

Here she is headed to work.

Wearing her princess's shirt and a random hat she found.

Dressing in style in daddy's Saints shirt. We are teaching her right.

And here, she decided to put on all her princess shirts, her tutu, high heels, and bracelets on her legs. Overdoing it? Probably.

Oklahoma Wildlife

2011-07-13T22:56:00.000-05:00

Rebekah had been to the Nature Center at Lake Eufaula State Park before the trip she took in June, but she was fascinated by some different animals this trip. The stuffed otter, the bees, and the baby quail all captured her attention.

But we did not have to go all the way to the State Park to see wildlife. Grandpa and Grandma Roberts had a wide variety of birds that frequented their yard, this pair of bunnies outside their kitchen window, and ...

... this snake we found creeping through the yard one evening.

San Antonio Zoo

2011-07-06T07:10:00.000-05:00

Rebekah has a little bit of both her parents' personalities: Takes a little to get warmed up to people (James), but then is a little crazy with them (Kristie).

Although it took her only a few minutes to get to know her cousins Gus and Finn, she soon became very attached.

The trip to the zoo, including riding the awesome train they have there, solidified their relationship. She was soon lecturing them on the wildlife they were looking at, including the fish and the hippos relaxing underwater.

Although, as you can see, her attachment to Finn sometimes led him to a little bit of eye-rolling.

St. Clare's Carnival

2011-07-02T22:27:00.000-05:00

Rebekah got to do a few of her favorite things at St. Clare Catholic Church's Carnival last month:

Ride Questionably Safe Carnival Rides

Play on Jumpy Things

and Dance, Dance, Dance.

She entertained the masses with

her shameless dance moves

Watermelon with the Cousins

2011-06-27T14:17:00.000-05:00

On our cross-country tour of hellos and goodbyes, we spent several days in San Antonio with Rebekah's Uncle Martin and her cousins, Gus and Finn.

Many good times were had by all, such as eating and spitting the seeds from a tasty Mississippi watermelon.

And getting a little messy.

Hand Painting

2011-06-25T05:32:00.001-05:00

One thing that James often forgets when watching Rebekah is how easily entertained she is at her age. She does not watch much television at all, and she can entertain herself with a rock and a stick.

So when we do something as simple as hand painting, she has more fun than we could ever provide her with a cartoon (or a rock and a stick).

She was really good about not touching anything she was not supposed to touch, which probably comes from her obsession with being clean and cleaning.

But painting on a Father's Day shirt provided the perfect excuse for getting her hands a little bit dirty.

Phoenix, AZ

2011-06-23T20:33:00.000-05:00

We traveled to the enormous mass of people in the middle of the Arizona desert last week to see a lot of old friends and get appointed for our new job that is taking our family out of the United States and onward to new adventures in the coming years.

Due to the nature of our whirlwind trip and the packed schedule, Rebekah remained in Mississippi. This was her when we left for our flight at 3:30 AM.

There were plenty of real cacti in Arizona, but the city was also very excited about the Major League Baseball All-Star game coming to the city, and you saw these promotions all over.

We had a nice room with a view of the pool and some mountains in the distance.

And our old friend Rick Warren even asked to take a picture with us when we met him (Really, he asked to take a picture, we did not. We are not really into the "Christian celebrity scene.")

Veggie Tales

2011-06-20T22:16:00.000-05:00

At the end of May, we had the opportunity to take Rebekah to see scarily large versions of Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber, who have been a huge part of Rebekah's life since she was born. As with most mascot-like figures she has encountered, though, she wasn't scared at all.

The former president of the company we used to (and now again) work for was also at the store that day, but everyone we ran into was there to see the Veggie Tales characters.

We saw one of Rebekah's buddies who has gone to school with her since they were born, Addison.

And Rebekah wanted to pose an extra time with Bob and Larry, so she jumped back into line with our friend Ashlee to get another picture.

The Playground

2011-06-14T21:46:00.002-05:00

On the same day Rebekah enjoyed the swing, she also likes pretty much everything else about the playground too, though.

She was at the playground with daddy this day, and he let her pick out her own outfit. So going down the slide with bare legs was not the easiest thing.

But she showed off some of her early gymnastics skills on the balance beam, and practiced her bull-riding skills on the plastic dinosaur.

The Zoo

2011-06-12T21:11:00.001-05:00

Rebekah has been enjoying the Hattiesburg Zoo a lot this summer. She should be used to the place, since she's been going since she was a few days old.

She is still excited about the new carousel at the zoo, with all its pretty new zebras.

But a lot of the time she likes to wander around and dance to the music the zoo has playing over the sound system.

The Swing

2011-06-01T21:43:00.000-05:00

Rebekah gets excited about a lot of things. But she does not get as thrilled about many things as much as she does at the mention of playgrounds. One easy way to get distract her during her whining moments in the car is to tell her to look for playgrounds. She will find them.

She likes a lot of things on the playground, but swings just make her smile.

Especially when you oblige her repeated wishes to go "Higher!"

The Beach 2011 (Final Act)

2011-05-28T06:28:00.000-05:00

What good is going to the beach if you're afraid of the ocean? Well, maybe when Rebekah gets a little older you can ask her. She didn't like it when we carried her into the ocean, and she certainly wasn't going near it herself.

But the pool behind the beach house? She was all for that, even on the first couple days we were there when her teeth chattered as soon as she got in (don't call Child Services--we did not let her stay in on those days, despite her two-year-old vocal protests and tears).

She even wanted to ride the jet ski with her dad, so we let her put on the life jacket, sit on one, and idle around the pier to show her how fun jet skis were.

A Beach Wedding

2011-05-19T08:29:00.001-05:00

While enjoying our little vacation at the beach, James had the opportunity to marry a couple that we know. There were a lot of "firsts" for James at this wedding, such as the first barefoot wedding he had ever performed, as well as the first wedding where the wind blew so much it made his hair look like little demon horns (guess it's about time for a haircut).

Congratulations to Jimmy and Emily!

The Beach

2011-05-17T08:29:00.000-05:00

We recently headed to the Perdido Key (where we'd been when Rebekah was only six months old), on the Alabama-Florida border, for a few days of relaxation--meaning a little less cell phone use, a lot less internet browsing, and chasing Rebekah while trying to not get sunburned (both of us failed on the latter).

We were able to stay at a pretty nice beach house.

But the weekend at the beach was not about beach houses,

for Rebekah at least.

She was eager to get to the sand.

She dug and dug and dug.

And dug and dug and dug.

And even brought out the reinforcements the next day

to make sure she could displace as much sand as possible.

Rebekah and the Bear (The Toddler Years)

2011-05-13T13:52:00.000-05:00

We decided when Rebekah was born to chart her growth on this blog by placing her next to her bear.

We did it weekly, then monthly, and then decided she really wasn't changing enough to warrant monthly bear pics (read as "We were getting lazy and Rebekah wouldn't sit still enough to make it worth it.").

But she loves to drag (or have mom or dad carry) Big Bear out and pose with it and some of her other babies.

Then sometimes, she feels like a celebrity and treats us like imposing paparazzi.

But she loves her Big Bear, and hugs and kisses him often.

Easter Egg Hunt: Practice

2011-05-06T17:00:00.002-05:00

We really aren't bad parents. We want more than anything for Rebekah to be a well-adjusted child, whether or not she's "the best" at anything. But we couldn't help practicing for the Easter Egg Hunt the day before.

Look at the agility here, with her backhanded grab.

Already looking one egg ahead.

We weren't timing her, but you couldn't tell looking at the concentration and determination on her face. And then the disappointment of finding out they were just a bunch of empty eggs.

Easter in Tennessee

2011-05-04T18:11:00.000-05:00

Easter usually means we're traveling, and this year was no different. We made our way up to Tennessee for the Easter Weekend to see some of Kristie's family.

Taking Rebekah out of school a couple days early meant she missed the Easter Egg Hunt in Hattiesburg, so we searched and searched until we found out where in Martin the Easter Bunny was going to be that weekend.

Despite the look on her face here, Rebekah was excited to see the Easter Bunny. There were just other exciting things to do at this Easter Carnival.

We ate some hot dogs and popcorn, drank some Kool-Aid, and got our face painted.

And of course Rebekah found the only "jumpy slide" operating in Martin that weekend.

The afternoon concluded with Rebekah dominating the Easter Egg Hunt (we'd practiced). We even somehow missed the 1- and 2-year-old hunt, so we participated in the 3- and 4-year-old hunt. The excitement of the 19 candy eggs Rebekah found was almost more than she could handle.

Youth Villages 5K

2011-04-26T12:16:00.001-05:00

While in Memphis last weekend, we participated in the 5K that Kristie's company, Youth Villages, has put on yearly for the past 3 decades.

Three years ago we walked/ran in the 5K, and it was a warm, sunny April morning.

Our only tag-a-long was our 2-month old puppy, Kosi.

This year, we had a good time and the company raised over $80,000 for their programs to help troubled youth. But a couple things were a little different:

1) The Weather Did Not Cooperate--A brisk run in 55-degree weather sounds pleasant, but a super-windy, overcast 55-degree morning is anything but pleasant.

2) Different Tag-a-Long--Instead of a 2-month old puppy, we have a 2-year old who likes to wander off. So to keep her in the wagon, we had to resort to bribery--an unlimited supply of graham crackers.

Kristie and Rebekah finished in less than 45 minutes, and James got the EXACT same time (27:26) he did three years ago (he finished 20th among men in his division). And, of course Rebekah sniffed out the "jumpy thing" Youth Villages had brought in for the kids. Freezing weather can never hinder Rebekah's love of "jumpy things."

New Orleans Zoo, 11 Months Later

2011-04-21T05:00:00.002-05:00

We ventured to the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans late last spring, but we thought it was time to let Rebekah experience the different animals and environments outside of the Hattiesburg Zoo.

Kristie's parents graciously accompanied us to help watch and carry Rebekah among all the stimuli.

We got to see some real animals...

Some fake animals...

Measured the changes in Rebekah from a year ago...

Late May 2010

April 9, 2011

And of course Rebekah found the playground--the bit of plastic and metal in the midst of conservation and nature.

The Beard

2011-04-19T07:16:00.000-05:00

As much as James loved his two-month-old beard, for the wisdom (he says) it supposedly gave him.

And as much as Rebekah loved to pull on her daddy's beard, just because she thought it was funny to make him cringe.

Kristie's will finally won out, and one Saturday morning early, he was transformed from his grizzly self into his softer, gentler version.

BEFORE

DURING

(Rebekah is helping because last time

James shaved his beard,

she freaked out about who this beardless man was)

AFTER

Chilly March Night for Baseball

2011-04-13T14:15:00.000-05:00

On the 30th of March, we went to watch Rebekah's PawPaw's alma mater battle Kristie's alma mater as Ole Miss visited USM for a baseball game here in Hattiesburg. We were part of the record crowd. People had already been swimming here in Southern Mississippi, so we weren't quite prepared for the wind chill to make it so cold that Wednesday night.

Rebekah hardly noticed the weather, though, and actually knows much of the vocabulary of baseball to accompany her football and basketball knowledge.

For those who care, USM defeated Ole Miss in extra innings, so Mommy went home much happier than PawPaw.

Who Wants to Party?!

2011-04-06T15:08:00.000-05:00

Date: Saturday, April 2

Location: Hattiesburg

Occurrence: The Most Tiring Day of Parties Ever

Fletcher's Birthday Party, Gattitown

Pizza, Games, and Cupcakes at Noon

Hattiesburg Zoo Birthday Bash

People, People, People Everywhere

Zoo Blues 2011

Food, Music, and Crafts

(and hanging with Mrs. Ashlee Cook)

Nate and Riley's Birthday Party, Kidz Rule!

More Pizza, Cake, and Jumpy Things

Jumpy Slides & Boys

2011-04-03T22:02:00.003-05:00

Rebekah had quite a day Saturday, but her biggest adventure might have come at the end of the day when we were at a birthday party at Kidz Rule in Hattiesburg. She loves "jumpy things", but decided she was too big for the toddler inflatables.

SO, after a whirl on a manageable slide by herself, Rebekah decided to brave the BIG slide. Fun ensued, and Rebekah managed to steal the hearts of about... 6 older men, who were more than willing to help the younger woman up & down the slides.

New Zoo Carousel Preview

2011-04-02T08:06:00.000-05:00

Today is one of the Hattiesburg Zoological Society's big fundraiser of the year--Zoo Blues! The Society--a non-profit that's purpose is to raise money for the zoo--recently purchased the carousel the zoo had been leasing and paid to move it inside the zoo and refurbish it in more of a "zoo appropriate" motif, and today will be the ribbon cutting for the new carousel (along with other new attractions at the zoo).

Half of the horses have been transformed into zebras, and in the coming months more zoo animals will replace other horses.

Since James serves on the HZS Executive Board, he and Rebekah got a sneak peek at the carousel on a chilly morning at the zoo this week.

Not So Bad

2011-03-28T22:09:00.000-05:00

Back when she was a baby first learning to stand and pull things off shelves, Rebekah learned to hate the baby gate we used to confine her.

As you can see, when we were cleaning things and she was reintroduced to the fence, she enjoyed it much more. Maybe it's just that she knows she could get out of, knock over, or climb over it now if she so wished.

Things to Do in New Orleans

2011-03-20T23:17:00.000-05:00

We lived in New Orleans at the time we were married, and loved the amalgamation of cultures that is the Crescent City. We never moved back after Hurricane Katrina, but have not been far from the city.

These are a few of the things we would recommend if you're ever thinking about visiting the city:

Pretend to wear the masks in the shops

Appreciate the unique architecture

Relax in one of the city parks

Soak in the street music (and give the musicians tips)

Buy some low-quality souvenirs or unique creation of a city artist,

if you want a memory of the city

TRY ONE OF THESE SANDWICHES!!!

(but they're not open Sundays)

DON'T stand in this line for a cup of coffee

Good coffee and beignets can be had elsewhere with far less wait

Rebekah's Party at the Zoo

2011-03-17T22:35:00.000-05:00

On Sunday Rebekah lounged around before church, but she knew something exciting was going to happen that day.

She just had a glimmer in her eye.

We had a room full of screaming friends and balloons, until the animals came. Then they became remarkably calm.

We all got to pet the alligator, the chinchilla, and the African tortoise.

And see the tiger skin from the Hattiesburg Zoo's tiger that passed away in 2008.

The zoo was a great place for Rebekah's party. We even had a cute little cake with animals on top, and Rebekah blew out the candle on her own.

Rebekah's Real Birthday Party

2011-03-08T13:05:00.000-06:00

We didn't have Rebekah's Big Birthday Bash on March 2 because it was a Wednesday, but those present did celebrate with her. Here is a rundown of the fun we had.

All of Rebekah's friends had birthday hats (left over from her 1st Birthday).

"Why Are You Acting So Crazy, Mommy & Daddy? I just woke up."

Loving the cupcake,

Loving the presents,

But end up playing for days with the birthday hats.

Rebekah: 2 Years Later

2011-03-02T20:08:00.000-06:00

March 2, 2009

11:42 AM

March 2, 2011

11:42 AM

Things To Do in Oklahoma in the Winter

2011-03-01T21:24:00.000-06:00

Last week we took a quick airplane ride over to Oklahoma for a little work and a lot of play, and we caught the end of one of the cold snaps the Midwest has experienced this winter. So what does a toddler choose to do on a very chilly February day? Well, the cold weather does not affect a person doing something so fun as...

... rolling in gravel.

Rural Oklahoma is nothing if not exciting, at least for those who are self-entertaining.

Basketball

2011-02-21T22:45:00.000-06:00

Rebekah has experienced football on several occasions, but we wanted her to develop a more rounded appreciation of sports.

When we first got her cheerleader skirt on, however, she kept saying how excited she was to go to see the football players. She has watched basketball on television, so she knows what it is, but wasn't too excited about the game when we first arrived.

She preferred walking up and down the steps, watching other kids, and (of course) searching for Seymour, USM's mascot.

She actually wasn't afraid of Seymour, giving him a high-five and gladly taking a picture with him.

She eventually focused on the game, cheering the Golden Eagles on to victory.

Brobee

2011-02-16T11:35:00.000-06:00

For some reason, children (and college students) are just drawn to Yo Gabba Gabba!, a show that--if you can get past your initial shock and revulsion--actually has a lot of great lessons for toddlers and children.

The "little green one" from Yo Gabba Gabba!, who is a little slow compared to his playmates (they see to always be singing the "Keep Trying" song to him) is Brobee.

Grandma and Grandpa Roberts got Rebekah a Brobee doll for Christmas, and he's quickly risen up the ranks of Rebekah's favorite things, meaning he's pretty irreplaceable now.

They play together.

They wrestle.

Rebekah is determined to potty train him.

And at nap time, he's always right there with her.

A Pirate's Life

2011-02-09T21:54:00.000-06:00

At Rebekah's age, we don't have to do much to help grow her imagination. Taking her to neat places such as the historically based, pirate-themed Children's Reading Room at the newly reopened library in Waveland, MS, only fills her sponge-mind with new material for her playtimes.

She is obsessed with beads anyway, so the treasure chest filled with plastic coins and beads drew her attention, although she was dismayed that they were glued into the treasure chests.

So Rebekah just played with the stuffed iguana, climbing in and out of empty treasure chests and playing peek-a-boo in the holes in the stranded pirate ship.

Funny Faces

2011-02-02T12:45:00.000-06:00

Rebekah decided at breakfast a few weeks ago to show off some of her funny faces. She has a lot more of them, but here are the ones she showed off that morning.

***Disclaimer: We rarely feed her while topless, but sometimes it just happens.***

Sickly Child

2011-01-26T08:45:00.000-06:00

Rebekah gets the normal childhood ear infections and runny noses, and battles through them all. When she was younger, she even had a fever of 105 F, and was just playing like there was nothing wrong.

But she recently faced a new enemy--the stomach virus. Wow, she was pitiful.

Rebekah covered up her face with the blanket and just laid there, not even juice or Goldfish could entice her to move.

Imagination

2011-01-21T15:32:00.000-06:00

Rebekah loves playing with the various strands of beads we've collected during our time in New Orleans and South Mississippi. During her recent "take a picture of me" phase, Rebekah formed each strand into circles, which was a shape she learned at school. We know they're not really all that circular as circles go, but we'll give her a pass since she is still under 2.

Rebekah loves to act out scenes with her babies, too. She recently ran up to us yelling "Daddy rock baby," and we soon discovered it wasn't that she wanted to be rocked, but that her daddy doll was rocking his baby.

We really don't let her watch television much, but apparently all American children just think of TV-watching as a normal family activity, as evidenced by her watching it with her entire doll family.

Around the Christmas season, we got out Rebekah's Little People Nativity, and one day found the Virgin Mary apparently bowing to some idol, or perhaps going through her Call to Prayer toward Mecca, with her sextuplets (Actually, Rebekah told us they were sleeping. I guess since she sleeps on her stomach, she believes face-down is the universal sign for "sleeping".).

We know Rebekah knows Mary wasn't bowing to any idol, though, and that she didn't have sextuplets. How do we know? She's pretty much memorized her Children's Bible, and now is reading it to her babies.