Sheryl and Eric Nelken

ha

2010-02-01T22:39:00.002-05:00

Okay, so much for 'regular blogging'...I only have a second to post a quick hello and see if anybody ever even checks this anymore??

It's almost 11 and that's past my bedtime nowadays... :) I have lots of things to blog about in my head...maybe someday I will have some free time to actually write them down on here.

Hopefully, no promises though, I will be back soon....Goodnight!

Sheryl

We now return to regularly scheduled blogging....

2009-09-03T13:42:00.002-04:00

Hello and welcome back to life with the Nelken's....My apologies for taking so long to get back into blogging...I definitely didn't intend for Easter to be my last post, but the longer I was away, the easier it was to stay away...although I did feel guilty each time I read friends blogs and saw a link to mine with the 'last updated 4 months ago' tag. :)

So...what have we been up to? Since I last posted, several things have changed.

#1---We are welcoming Baby Nelken #2 into our home sometime in the next few weeks (more on that later) We found out I was pregnant again at the end of January, but I never posted it on my blog, because I wasn't telling anyone at work yet. That leads me to change #2.

#2---I quit work at the end of May! Leaving work was a pretty major change for me, but I do not regret it in the slightest! It had been my desire since before Laura was born to stay hone, but there was no way to make it work at that time. After we found out about baby #2, we really stepped up the efforts to make it happen. It has been almost 4 months now, and things are going really well. Finances have been noticibely tighter, but so far, things always work out. After calculating what it was going to cost in daycare for two, I believe money would be just as tight as it is now if I was working full time...and I would be missing out on so much.

#3---Our family continues to expand...My brother got married at the end of May and we welcomed Jennifer officially into the family...and then a couple of weeks later...we grew again....

#4---My sister Amy and her husband Cody found out they are expecting a baby! I am so happy for them and excited that Laura will have a little cousin to grow up with...they will find out at the end of Sept if its a boy or girl...but so far Amy says she's feeling its a boy. :)

#5---Eric went to Kenya this year with our church for two weeks..I will post a link to our facebook pictures.

I think that covers most of the events of the past 4 months...stay tuned for more detailed posts...Laura just woke up from her nap, so my computer time is over for a little while :)

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T18:24:00.006-04:00

"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me,though he die,yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world." John 11:25-28

He is risen, He is risen indeed!

We hope you and your family had a blessed Easter Sunday!

Perspective...

2009-03-23T09:55:00.002-04:00

Back in 1921, a missionary couple named David and Svea Flood went with their two-year-old son from Sweden to the heart of Africa—to what was then called the Belgian Congo. They met up with another young Scandinavian couple, the Ericksons, and the four of them sought God for direction. In those days of much tenderness and devotion and sacrifice, they felt led of the Lord to go out from the main mission station and take the gospel to a remote area.

This was a huge step of faith. At the village of N'dolera they were rebuffed by the chief, who would not let them enter his town for fear of alienating the local gods. The two couples opted to go half a mile up the slope and build their own mud huts.

They prayed for a spiritual breakthrough, but there was none. The only contact with the villagers was a young boy, who was allowed to sell them chickens and eggs twice a week. Svea Flood—a tiny woman of only four feet, eight inches tall—decided that if this was the only African she could talk to, she would try to lead the boy to Jesus. And in fact, she succeeded.

But there were no other encouragements. Meanwhile, malaria continued to strike one member of the little band after another. In time the Ericksons decided they had had enough suffering and left to return to the central mission station. David and Svea Flood remained near N'dolera to go on alone.

Then, of all things, Svea found herself pregnant in the middle of the primitive wilderness. When the time came for her to give birth, the village chief softened enough to allow a midwife to help her. A little girl was born, whom they named Aina.

The delivery, however, was exhausting, and Svea Flood was already weak from bouts of malaria. The birth process was a heavy blow to her stamina. She lasted only another seventeen days.

Inside David Flood, something snapped in that moment. He dug a crude grave, buried his twenty-seven-year-old wife, and then took his children back down the mountain to the mission station. Giving his newborn daughter to the Ericksons, he snarled, "I'm going back to Sweden. I've lost my wife, and I obviously can't take care of this baby. God has ruined my life." With that, he headed for the port, rejecting not only his calling, but God himself.

Within eight months both the Ericksons were stricken with a mysterious malady and died within days of each other. The baby was then turned over to some American missionaries, who adjusted her Swedish name to "Aggie" and eventually brought her back to the United States at age three.

This family loved the little girl and was afraid that if they tried to return to Africa, some legal obstacle might separate her from them. So they decided to stay in their home country and switch from missionary work to pastoral ministry. And that is how Aggie grew up in South Dakota. As a young woman, she attended North Central Bible college in Minneapolis. There she met and married a young man named Dewey Hurst.

Years passed. The Hursts enjoyed a fruitful ministry. Aggie gave birth first to a daughter, then a son. In time her husband became president of a Christian college in the Seattle area, and Aggie was intrigued to find so much Scandinavian heritage there.

One day a Swedish religious magazine appeared in her mailbox. She had no idea who had sent it, and of course she couldn't read the words. But as she turned the pages, all of a sudden a photo stopped her cold. There in a primitive setting was a grave with a white cross-and on the cross were the words SVEA FLOOD.

Aggie jumped in her car and went straight to a college faculty member who, she knew, could translate the article. "What does this say?" she demanded.

The instructor summarized the story: It was about missionaries who had come to N'dolera long ago...the birth of a white baby...the death of the young mother...the one little African boy who had been led to Christ...and how, after the whites had all left, the boy had grown up and finally persuaded the chief to let him build a school in the village. The article said that gradually he won all his students to Christ...the children led their parents to Christ...even the chief had become a Christian. Today there were six hundred Christian believers in that one village...

All because of the sacrifice of David and Svea Flood.

For the Hursts' twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, the college presented them with the gift of a vacation to Sweden. There Aggie sought to find her real father. An old man now, David Flood had remarried, fathered four more children, and generally dissipated his life with alcohol. He had recently suffered a stroke. Still bitter, he had one rule in his family: "Never mention the name of God-because God took everything from me."

After an emotional reunion with her half brothers and half sister, Aggie brought up the subject of seeing her father. The others hesitated. "You can talk to him," they replied, "even though he's very ill now. But you need to know that whenever he hears the name of God, he flies into a rage."

Aggie was not to be deterred. She walked into the squalid apartment, with liquor bottles everywhere, and approached the seventy-three-year-old man lying in a rumpled bed.

"Papa?" she said tentatively.

He turned and began to cry. "Aina," he said, "I never meant to give you away."

"It's all right Papa," she replied, taking him gently in her arms. "God took care of me."

The man instantly stiffened. The tears stopped.

"God forgot all of us. Our lives have been like this because of Him." He turned his face back to the wall.

Aggie stroked his face and then continued, undaunted.

"Papa, I've got a little story to tell you, and it's a true one. You didn't go to Africa in vain. Mama didn't die in vain. The little boy you won to the Lord grew up to win that whole village to Jesus Christ. The one seed you planted just kept growing and growing. Today there are six hundred African people serving the Lord because you were faithful to the call of God in your life...

"Papa, Jesus loves you. He has never hated you."

The old man turned back to look into his daughter's eyes. His body relaxed. He began to talk. And by the end of the afternoon, he had come back to the God he had resented for so many decades.

Over the next few days, father and daughter enjoyed warm moments together. Aggie and her husband soon had to return to America—and within a few weeks, David Flood had gone into eternity.

A few years later, the Hursts were attending a high-level evangelism conference in London, England, where a report was given from the nation of Zaire (the former Belgian Congo). The superintendent of the national church, representing some 110,000 baptized believers, spoke eloquently of the gospel's spread in his nation. Aggie could not help going to ask him afterward if he had ever heard of David and Svea Flood.

"Yes, madam," the man replied in French, his words then being translated into English. "It was Svea Flood who led me to Jesus Christ. I was the boy who brought food to your parents before you were born. In fact, to this day your mother's grave and her memory are honored by all of us."

He embraced her in a long, sobbing hug. Then he continued, "You must come to Africa to see, because your mother is the most famous person in our history."

In time that is exactly what Aggie Hurst and her husband did. They were welcomed by cheering throngs of villagers. She even met the man who had been hired by her father many years before to carry her back down the mountain in a hammock-cradle.

The most dramatic moment, of course, was when the pastor escorted Aggie to see her mother's white cross for herself. She knelt in the soil to pray and give thanks. Later that day, in the church, the pastor read from John 12:24: "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." He then followed with Psalm 126:5: "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy."

(An excerpt from Aggie Hurst, Aggie: The Inspiring Story of A Girl Without A Country [Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 1986].)
_____________________________________________________________________________________

If the entire earth's population could be shrunk to a town/village of 100 people with all human ratios remaining the same it would look like:

57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 Northern and Southern Western Hemisphere persons
8 Africans
52 would be female
48 would be male
70 would be non-white
30 would be white
70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian
89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual
6 people would possess 59% of the entire worlds wealth and all 6 people would be from the United States.
80 people would live in substandard housing
70 people would be unable to read
1 would be near death
1 would be near birth
1 person would have a college education
1 would own a computer
When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need for both acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly apparent.
The following is also something to ponder...If you woke up this morning with more health then illness, you are more blessed then the million who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battles, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pains of starvation you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish someplace...you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If your parents are still alive and still married...you are very rare, even in the United States and Canada.
If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over 2 billion people in the world that cannot read.

Spring is coming!

2009-03-12T21:00:00.004-04:00

We have enjoyed the last week of temps in the 70's and 80's...It is supposed to be back in the 40's for highs over the weekend, but its been nice to enjoy the sunshine for a couple of days!

Playing in the driveway at home...

Swinging at the Park

Laura is finally moving up to her 12 months clothes, so I've been packing away all her winter stuff...of course she had to help.... :)

And the warm weather has sparked the 'planting' bug in me (and everybody else in Habersham Co based on the soil tests and questions this week at work!)...we are still several weeks away from being able to really plant anything outside...so instead I planted a few things from seeds indoors! We will see how many survive once they get transplanted! :)

Laura's First Birthday

2009-03-12T15:50:00.004-04:00

Okay, so when Eric starts asking why the birthday pictures aren't up yet...I know I have fallen behind! Laura turned one on Feb 28th. We had a birthday celebration at home with both sets of families visiting. I think the party turned out fairly well...Laura started teething again the night before, so she was in a little bit of a down mood for part of the day. Not really grumpy, just tired. She was also drooling like a mad woman...I can't keep up with how many bibs she went through in one weekend! She is working on 4-6 teeth up top (can't really get a good look up there!) She slept through lunch (we grilled hamburgers and hotdogs) but was awake and happy to eat her cake! She really didn't eat much of the cake, but she was definitely fond of the icing! :)

Oh...edited to add...Eric made and decorated the cake completely by himself...I think he did a great job for his first cake decorating attempt!

I don't have time to write a lot, but did want to get her pictures posted..!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I also added a video of Laura 'walking'. This is still about as far as she goes...maybe 4-5 steps at a time. She gets so excited about the idea of it though!

"I've got to get away..."

2009-02-24T14:50:00.005-05:00

Last week, Eric and I took a short vacation to Asheville, NC. We had a great trip! It was very nice to be away for a few days..and sleep as late as we wanted! :)

It was our first 'official' overnight trip away from Laura. Technically, she spent her first night away at the Gant's back in November when I was in the ER with a migraine..but I don't count that night! :)

My parents and sister came up to babysit...I think they had a great time.I don't think Laura missed us at all *tear* When we got back she was sorta excited to see us, but then just went right back to playing...oh well! I think she was more disappointed to see her babysitters leave... :)

We stayed at a cabin in Lake Lure (apparently its where Dirty Dancing and Last of the Mohican's was filmed) It was about 20 minutes outside of Asheville. Monday we spent the day in Asheville at the Biltmore and then Tuesday we were at Chimney Rock State park. You aren't allowed to take pics inside Biltmore, so I don't have many pictures to post, but here are a few from the trip.

Chimney Rock (with Lake Lure in the background)

Outside the Biltmore

Meanwhile...Laura was having a great time with her babysitters!

Can you believe she turns 1 this Saturday? Crazy! Time has flown by...! She is trying really hard to walk...and I think she could if she could just get up the courage...She has taken a couple of steps (like maybe 4) but definitely can't say she is 'walking' yet. She will walk around the house just holding onto one finger...but I know it won't be long before she is getting around on her own...

her 'Ok, I'm standing...now what?' pose

Trying to 'help' me sort coupons before going to the grocery store

Just lounging around...and a very happy (and clean) baby!

Somebody's gotta do it...

2009-02-02T16:48:00.002-05:00

Hi there...this is Laura..I have hijacked mamas blog to post proof that I am being being used for free child labor...I mean, really, I have to help these folks do ALL the chores around the house...I don't understand why they don't always appreciate my help...I've only dumped clean and dirty laundry baskets together on the floor a couple of times...and the incident with the dishwasher, I had to take all the spoons and forks out of the tray while they weren't looking. I didn't like the way they were sorted!

Well, I just had to vent...I'm sure all of you will sympathize with me...its a tough life!

100 Things I've done

2009-01-26T16:52:00.004-05:00

In the spirit on Meme's and tagging people...I thought I'd do one more...

For this you are supposed to read the list and bold the ones that you have personally done...

1. Started my own blog (it would be rather difficult to post this if I had not)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower (not a very good one though...It was a cloudy night)
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea (from our cruise ship on the honeymoon...it stormed for 3 days)
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb (I work in an Ag Extension Office...I've held lambs, pigs, goats, you name it...its an interesting job...)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors (Eh...depends how far back you go)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Europe
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (we were going to on the honeymoon, but got rained out...see #13)
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud (and in the sand)
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (once, in college...bad, I know)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House (well, as close at I could get...it was too close to 9/11 and they didn't allow tours
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Ridden an elephant

I tag anybody who wants to do this one! It was actually kinda fun and I didn't have to actually think of any real stuff to blog about...

4th Photo Tag

2009-01-26T16:34:00.003-05:00

Jeez...Okay, so I am a week or so behind on posting again...Its a good thing I didn't make regular blogging a New Years Resolution cause I would be a definte failure!

My friend Jen tagged me to to this photo picture thing where you post the 4th picture from your 4th photo folder...I admit I did cheat a little because I rearranged my pictures by date so and older folder would come up... :)

So...here we go...

Don't kill me Amy...I swear this is really the one that came up. This is my sisters infamous 'monkey face'. I think this was taken around 2004 or 2005 when we were waiting to go on a church trip. I really can't remember many other details...Well, that was fun..and completely random!

I tag Amanda B., Misti, and anybody else who wants to join the fun!

I'm back!

2009-01-16T19:06:00.000-05:00

Hey! I have returned to blog-land...I have probably lost all of my readers since I haven't posted in almost a month! I'll be posting several blogs today/tonight so be sure to scroll down to make sure you haven't missed anything. :)

Our family is growing....May 2009

2009-01-16T19:04:00.004-05:00

We are happy to announce that our family will be growing again in May 2009...

haha...no, we are not pregnant (not that I am aware of anyway!) but we are gaining a sister-in-law...

On New Years Eve, my brother *finally* proposed to his girlfriend Jennifer and they will be getting married on May 23 in Rhine. They have been dating for 5 years, I think, so Jennifer is already like family, but we are excited that its now official! We love you!

Christmas 2008

2009-01-16T16:26:00.005-05:00

Because Eric and I both work for universities, we are blessed to have a generous amount of time off during Christmas/New Years. This year we left work on Dec 19th and didn't return until January 5th! It was a much much needed break! We spent one week visiting both of our families and celebrating Christmas. We then came back and had a full week to work and rest at home.

I am several weeks late writing this update about Christmas so I don't really remember a lot of the details...so I think I'm just going to have to make comments on the pictures as I go! I have realized I actually didn't take a lot of pictures at either house...I think I was too busy chasing Laura. I still need to get pictures from the grandparents cameras!

Laura and her best 'snow'friend...She loved these little snowmen I had out in the living room...every night she would crawl over and 'talk' to Mrs. Snowman :)

Christmas in Augusta with Eric's family....
Funny story...Laura figured out how to clap sometime in December...After our Christmas dinner, Eric asked Laura if she wanted to open presents that night, instead of in the morning, to clap 4 times....Right on cue, she clapped one, two, three, four times...I know it was totally coincidence but it was still hilarious...She got her wish and we opened presents before bed. :)
Christmas in Eastman

I am really lacking in my pictures for Christmas with my family...Mama, I need you to send me the pics from your camera--Amy, I want yours too! :) As soon as I get pictures from them, I will blog about our Christmas celebrations in Eastman....

Stone Mountain Christmas

2009-01-16T15:06:00.000-05:00

For the last three years, Eric and I have gone to visit Stone Mt during Christmas. I suppose it is becoming one of our own personal family traditions. This year we invited our friends Josh and Amanda to go with us.

The 'Christmas theme' part of the park opened at 6pm each night, so on the Saturday before Christmas we drove down and got to the park around 6:45 or so...and apparently half of the city of Atlanta had the same idea we did...After waiting in traffic off the exit for about 30 minutes we found out that the park was already at capacity and they were not admitting any more cars that night. I was quite disappointed, but in hindsight, glad we did not get in on Saturday night. I have been at the park when it was crowded (4th of July) and it was misery...too many people!

We gave it another try on Sunday afternoon after church and we actually got in. The park wasn't crowded at all actually. It was COLD though...we had to bundle Laura up in her snow suit when we rode the train. :)

Laura and Josh

3-D Polar Express

Josh and Amanda
Eric and Laura watching the 'snowfall' and fireworks at the end of the night

Thankful Thursday....

2008-12-18T07:45:00.001-05:00

So thankful for this little girl...

Who can resist this little face every morning??

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2008-12-15T18:49:00.000-05:00

I've enjoyed doing some decorating around the house...Last year I was 7 1/2 months pregnant and it took me 3-4 days just to get the tree up and decorated...Thankfully I was moving a little faster this year! :)

I was worried about the tree, esp since Laura is crawling and into everything she hasn't bothered the tree at all. I think it almost intimidates her. She just likes to look at the lights from a distance...which is a-okay with me!

My little 'helper'...

My mantle and front door wreath

The tree and dining room

Thanksgiving

2008-12-15T16:03:00.005-05:00

I didn't really take a lot of pictures over Thanksgiving and so I've been behind in posting an update about our trips. We went down to my parents first and were in Eastman through late Thursday and then we drove up to Augusta and stayed there til Saturday. We had a good time visiting with family...hard to believe we will be making the rounds again in about a week for Christmas...!

Laura and her car we picked up at my parents house...She loves being 'driven' (the only direction she can go by herself is backwards :) ) around the living room and loves to 'honk' the horn.

Laura and her cousin Riley
Trying to climb the steps at Thanksgiving.

Office Space

2008-12-04T13:13:00.001-05:00

Yep, this is my life...except I have an office not a cubicle and TPS reports are sent via email.... :)

Give Thanks

2008-11-27T09:59:00.000-05:00

TRUE THANKSGIVING

Oh, give thanks to the Lord,
for He is good!

~~ Psalm 107:1 ~~

The Pilgrim Fathers who landed at Plymouth in America in 1620 knew nothing of the bountiful prosperity that so many people enjoy today. During that first long winter, seven times as many graves were made for the dead as homes were built for the living. Seed, imported from England, failed to grow, and a ship that was to bring food and relief, brought thirty-five more mouths to feed, but not an ounce of provisions. They caught fish, hunted wild fowl, and venison. They had a little English meal and some Indian corn.

Yet their lives were marked by a spirit of constant thankfulness. On one occasion, William Brewster, rising from a scanty Plymouth dinner of clams and water, gave thanks to God "for the abundance of the sea and the treasures hid in the sand."

According to today's standards, they had little; but they possessed a sense of great gratitude. Gratitude is one of the greatest Christian graces; ingratitude, one of the most vicious sins. Ask God to open your eyes to all the blessings He has bestowed on you, and to give you a fresh spirit of gratitude - not just at this season of the year, but always.

The Reverend Billy Graham, Hope for Each Day - Words of Wisdom and Faith, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publisher

The Blessing - John Waller - Missions Presentation

2008-11-24T17:03:00.001-05:00

Choose to be a blessing...

Let it be said of us...
While we walked among the living
Let it be said of us...
By the ones we leave behind
Let it be said of us...
That we lived to be a blessing for life

Let it be said of us...
That we gave to reach the dying
Let it be said of us...
By the fruit we leave behind
Let it be said of us...
That our legacy is blessing for life

This day...
You set life, you set death right before us,
This day...
Every blessing and curse is a choice now
And we will choose to be a blessing for life

Let it be said of us...
That our hearts belonged to Jesus Let it be said of us
That we spoke the words of life
Let it be said of us...
That our heritage is blessing for life

For your Kingdom, for our Children
For the sake of every nation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NESkHLKJJH8

On the move...

2008-11-19T09:20:00.004-05:00

We officially have a crawler! Laura has been trying to master crawling for weeks...but last night she finally figured it all out! We got some video last night that I will try to post later, but here is a quick pic I snapped this morning of Laura on the go...Life will never be the same...gotta finish up that baby-proofing!

Video of crawling

2008-11-19T02:45:00.002-05:00

I think this is the first time I've posted video through Blogger..so we'll see how this goes...Eric reduced the quality so it wouldn't take forever to download...

Oh, and I realize the video is kinda long so probably nobody but family will watch the whole thing...! And ignore the piles of baby laundry in the background... recording video was more important :)

It's been quiet...

2008-11-18T15:37:00.005-05:00

Okay, slight blogging break is over... :) The last two weeks have been fairly uneventful...except for a week or so where I thought my head was going to explode...they still aren't really sure what happened...it was either viral meningitis (two failed spinal tap attempts---ouch---so they couldn't get a definite diagnosis) or a 5 day massive migraine (I've never had a migraine before---but the docs said that if it was a migraine, I will definitely have another one..yippe... :( ) The CT scan did confirm I have a brain though (in case anyone had questioned that before)! I was a pretty sick girl for a week or so...but eventually after a half-dozen super-duper painkillers and antibiotics--I finally recovered. During this time, Laura spent her first night away from home...The Gants graciously volunteered to keep Laura while we were in the hospital one of the nights. Thank you! My parents ended up coming back up to help take care of the baby...since Eric was mainly taking care of me (and trying to work a couple of days as well). Of course, even with my exploding head...I still managed to take a couple of pictures :)

On the 7th...I turned 29 years old...! I was still feeling pretty rough...so it was most likely one of my worst birthdays....in comparison, turning 30 next year should be a blast! :) Eric and I did venture down to Gainesville to pick up my Birthday present...I got a video camera! I was quite excited...but of course that means that my blog readers will also be subjected to lots of Laura video :)

Other than all that...life has been fairly quiet...that is good! I aan't believe its almost Thanksgiving and Christmas again--this year has flown by!

Pumpkin Farm

2008-11-04T15:56:00.005-05:00

This past weekend my parents came up for a whirlwind visit so Daddy could install a part on our air conditioner...and they never turn down an opportunity to visit their grandbaby... :)

Saturday morning we went to Burt's Pumpkin farm in Dawsonville for some fall fun. We bought a couple of pumpkins to bring home and cook. I love fall foods...apples, pumpkins and sweet potatoes :)

Oh, and you may notice it looks like I am squinting in all the pictures...but actually, Friday night I was using some cleaners and things and apparently I guess I touched my eye and my right eye decided to swell. It was a little better Saturday thanks to a visit to the quick care clinic and some prescription eye drops...Cleaning can be hazardous to your health!

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The Most Important Issues In the 2008 Election

2008-11-04T10:26:00.001-05:00

October 31st, 2008

2008-10-31T10:34:00.004-04:00

Happy Reformation Day...!

Walmart was totally sold out of their 16th century saint outfits though...so we went with a pumpkin theme instead... :)

Her 'scary' faces....

Not quite sure what I think about this result?!

2008-10-31T09:12:00.000-04:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free genealogy - Antique photos

Who does she look like??

2008-10-30T10:29:00.001-04:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Genalogy - Pedigree chart

Here, there and everywhere...

2008-10-21T16:04:00.007-04:00

We've been busy the last few weeks...Two weeks ago Friday, we closed on our house...we had to drive down to Atlanta to the attorney's office then back to Demorest to pick up Laura and then we headed south to Eastman. Saturday we had a Tucker family reunion in Statesboro. We had a great time. Laura got to meet several of her great-aunts and some new cousins too!

While we were in Eastman, Uncle Cody tried to convert Laura into a Tech fan...

but I don't think it worked...Laura knows which school helps pay the bills in our family! :)

And finally we had to leave my parents house come back home...

I didn't stay away too long though...my sister Amy (in the picture above) had to have surgery at the Medical Center in Macon on Tuesday. She has some heart problems and has had a pacemaker since she was 18. When she went for a checkup a few days before they discovered one of the 'leads' from the pacemaker to her heart was broken...This is the second time its happened.

Oh, and guess what...based on the computer read-out of the pacemaker...it broke when she was up here visiting us for July 4th...maybe one of the fireworks at Stone Mt was too loud?! :)

She had her lead-revision on Tuesday and came through the surgery really well. I met my family and Cody's family at the hospital for the day and drove back up here that evening...it was a long day, but I really wanted to be at the hospital! We love you Amy!!

This past weekend, my parents came to visit and help us get some more work done on the house. We are supposed to move in this weekend. If anybody doesn't have anything else to do this weekend...we could use some manual labor on Saturday! The hardwood went down last week, the carpet is being installed today and the painting should be done by Thursday...if all goes well, we will be all moved in over the weekend! I will try to post some pictures soon...there has been quite the transformation over the last two weeks!

Milk Drunk...

2008-10-17T11:28:00.002-04:00

What can I say...she loves her bottle! :)

Art

2008-10-07T14:05:00.001-04:00

Laura had her first 'arts and crafts' time at school yesterday...

Budding artist in the making...

(Its a handprint leaf, in case you were wondering :) )

Happy Birthday!

2008-10-01T21:12:00.003-04:00

No. Its not Laura's birthday, although that seems to be approaching fast enough...how have 7 months already gone by??

But...Oct 1st is the 'birthday' of my blog!

Monday, October 1, 2007

Getting started

Hi...Test post

Yep, that was it, inspiring wasn't it? And now, one year and 45 posts later, I can definitely say I have come a long way with my 'blogging' skills! This past year has seen many changes...can't wait to see what blog stories the next year will create! :)

Movin' on up....

2008-10-01T20:30:00.000-04:00

We are moving again...

In the past 8 years since I moved out of my parents house to start my junior year at Brewton-Parker College...I have lived in 7 different houses/apartments, 5 different towns, and 4 counties in the great state of GA.

Now, maybe...just maybe...barring the complete collapse of the US economy...I will have a house to call my own in just 8 short days! :)

I put off posting anything earlier because I know from others experience that sometimes things can fall apart during the homebuying process even when you think its a done deal...but with our closing date just over one week away...I thought it was safe to announce that we are buying a house!

We have been debating buying a house since before we got married and there were always reasons we shouldn't buy at that moment...most of you know we hope to go to seminary in the future and we kept putting off buying a house because we thought we were going to be moving again soon...We really debated and prayed about the issue for the past few months, and we have decided that now is not the right time for us to move off to Wake Forest (or New Orleans :) ) So much has happened so fast in our lives the last two years and I really think God was showing me that its okay to breathe...relax...and that its okay to grow, serve and just enjoy where we are right now and not get so caught up in moving onto that 'next step' immediately...I am not always the most patient person...when I think I know what the next step should be...I want to do it NOW...and not wait for the doors to open for us...I'd rather find an unlocked window and crawl in my own way! So...for now, we are moving...but staying here at the same time. And I am okay with it...I think!

I am very excited about moving into the house...we got a great deal. It was a foreclosure (3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath with a finished basement on .75 acres) that has been on the market for a few months and we negotiated with the bank for a while but finally we agreed on a price and it has enabled us to be able to make a few changes and upgrades before we move in...The previous owners had apparently taken a sponge painting class at Lowe's or something and went crazy inside with the painting...so needless to say, that's coming down...She had even sponge-painted the garage...It was creative, i suppose.

So we should close on the house next Friday and then the next two weeks should have all the flooring replaced and the house repainted and at the latest we should be all moved in by the end of October. Yipee! Now for the not so fun part...packing.

6 Month Drs appts

2008-09-17T15:33:00.009-04:00

EDITED TO ADD: If you click on the last picture of Laura with her hands in the grass...you can actually SEE a mosquito biting her on her hand...!! She has a nice little bump there now :( What exactly was God's purpose in creating those little creatures??

Laura had her 6 month appt today. She weighed 15lbs 8oz...which is a pound and a half more than she weighed at 5 months...so she is finally starting to put on a little weight!

She is at exactly 50% for weight on the growth chart and was she was 27 inches long (93%, i think), so just like always...she is long and thin! This has created some problems with knowing what clothes to keep out for her to wear...she still wears mainly 3-6 month in 'outfits', 6-9 in sleepers (and if they have feet...some of them are almost too small) and on Tuesday, she wore a pair of 0-3 shorts that fit just fine...! I never know what will fit from one day to the next...

It was so much cooler here today...I love when it drops into the 60's and 70 degree range! Laura and I tried to spend some time outside this afternoon..but apparently the mosquitoes decided it was a nice night to be out too... :(

Labor Day Weekend 2008

2008-09-03T11:25:00.014-04:00

Well, we stayed pretty busy during Labor Day weekend...Saturday Eric was working at the church for Deejay and Meghan's wedding so Laura and I tagged along and hung out upstairs in the video room. They had a beautiful wedding and she was a beautiful bride! One of Eric's college friends, Leslie was also there and Eric was a proud daddy showing Laura off. :) Playing on a blanket in the video room before the wedding

Saturday evening we went furniture shopping in Gainesville. We finally had enough in our 'furniture savings' fund to buy some new living room furniture. I've been looking for a few months and finally found a set I liked...We ended up buying the set at the Clarkesville Mill. Their price was almost $400 less than the price for the same furniture at the other stores and what I could find online. They were definitely the best deal. I took this picture with my phone right after we got them inside the house so its not the best, but gives you a general idea...In the picture it looks sorta grey, but really they are a dark brown and blue.

Saturday night, we met up with my brother Chris and some old friends from Eastman. Concord Baptist in Clermont has a Labor Day celebration every year and they use a company from Eastman for all of their A/V stuff for the outdoor concerts. Chris comes up each year to help them do the show...We had a good time visiting with Ed and his wife Angie. Their little girl Isabella is growing up! She is two and was very curious about Laura. :)

Laura also got a nice present from Uncle Chris and Jennifer...Eric and I say 'Thank You' for the gift...Laura says, "Thank You" for the bag... :)
Sunday night we went to Concord for a few hours for the festival. It was hot but we had a good time visiting the booths and listening to the music.

And finally, Monday we slept in late..even Laura didn't wake up til 9:00am!! Glory Hallelujah! We picked up our furniture and overall just had a nice relaxing 'rest from labor' day...

PS...two years ago, Labor Day 2006, Eric and I got engaged, so this is one of my favorite holidays! :)

6 months old!

2008-08-29T16:11:00.009-04:00

Preparing to leave the hospital...

Coming home yesterday afternoon...

She has definitely started filling out her car seat, don't you think?? She also turned six months old yesterday...! I tried to take some good pictures yesterday afternoon, but she was just not the most photogenic baby...I may post a slideshow of some 'out-takes' anyway...some of them are pretty funny.

These are the best ones I got...

Oh, and because I am sure you were wondering...this is how Laura celebrated her 'six-month' birthday...a nice bowl of home-made carrots...and wow, did she make a mess!!

It's been quiet...

2008-08-27T14:28:00.010-04:00

Hmm...its been almost two weeks since I've posted anything...my blog is developing cobwebs... :)

But really, things have been pretty slow around here lately. We've had two weekends with no company visiting. My ten year high school reunion came and went...We didn't make it down to Eastman to go. Originally, Eric was supposed to be working at a wedding so we had already planned not to go. The wedding ended up being called off...but I still never ordered tickets. It worked out for the best though because Laura and Eric both had a little bit of a stomach bug that was going around that weekend. They would not have been the best traveling companions for the trip down...! In hindsight, I wish we would have made more of an effort to go, but oh well...there's always the 20 year. :) Thanks to the wonders of the internet, most of the folks I care to get an update on I keep in touch with already anyway.

Well, its rather humid, dreary and rainy here this afternoon so I'm just not really inspired to write much more...The remnants of Fay have soaked us pretty good the past few days. Our house now has its own moat. :)

And of course, I can't post an entry without pictures...so here's a few from the past two weeks...Enjoy! :)

Storytime with Daddy

Grapes and Figs from our backyard...if you want some, let me know...we have plenty of both to share! :)

Playtime in the Jungle Jumperoo

Laura and her new book...

Chewing is my new favorite activity

Our sleeping beauty...

Slow Fade...

2008-08-14T22:15:00.003-04:00

Video for a new Casting Crown song I heard on the radio the other day.

And on a lighter note...

Grand-parent weekend

2008-08-10T20:56:00.012-04:00

Slide show from the weekend...

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Grandparent Visit

2008-08-01T16:48:00.003-04:00

We had a good visit with Eric's parents over the weekend. They came up Saturday morning and stayed through Monday. They kept Laura home with them on Monday and from what I heard, they had a great day. :) Here are some pics from the weekend...I can't believe its Friday again already...this week has gone by rather quickly!

5 Months!

2008-07-28T09:33:00.000-04:00

I'm five months old today!

Yippee!

2008-07-23T16:23:00.002-04:00

I was so happy about this great deal...I just had to share! :)

Tuesday I went to K-mart during lunch to pick up a few things...and as always I cruise the baby section...We use Nestle Good-start formula with Laura. Nestle is coming out with a 'new' line so several stores have been discontinuing the purple label cans. They are normally 15-16.00 for a 12oz powder can...k-Mart had them marked down to $2.00 a can!! They only had 6 cans in stock...so I got them all. That was almost $100.00 in formula for 12 bucks...not bad!

Happy Anniversary!

2008-07-23T15:45:00.005-04:00

My parents celebrated 30 years of marriage yesterday...Congratulations :) I love you!

The Braves play here...

2008-07-21T10:32:00.005-04:00

Saturday night I took a group of 35 4'her's and parents to Georgia 4H Night at the Braves game. Overall it was a good trip...even though we left Clarkesville at 3:40...and didn't get to the stadium until 7:15! (I had planned to be there around 5) We were stuck in traffic for about 2 1/2 hours in downtown Atlanta...It was ridiculous. They are paving 4 of the lanes and so at the 75/85 merge traffic moves from 10 or more lanes down to two. I hated that we were so late getting to the game because several of the kids had never been to a Braves game and they missed out on all the pre-game stuff, but maybe they can go another year...

Laura and Eric drove down separately and so she experienced her first baseball game. She did great and fell asleep in her front pack for the last half of the game...She didn't miss much...the Braves lost 8-2.

It was after 1:30 before I got back home though...despite numerous reminders for them to call their parents to let them know we were almost home...3 kids 'forgot' until we got back to the office...Grrr...One child didn't even know her home phone number...how can you be in the 5th grade and not know that??

4 month checkup

2008-07-18T15:44:00.007-04:00

Laura had her 4 month check-up on Monday (she is actually closer to 4 1/2 months because our Dr appt scheduling is a little off)

Everything looked great...She weighed 13lbs, 7 oz (50% percentile) and was 26 inches long (96%) so she is just long and skinny!

She is doing everything right on schedule so far. She has really discovered rolling the last week or two and so she is always working on rolling from her back to her stomach and stomach to back. She has woken up on her stomach several mornings this week. She also loves reaching and playing with her toys. Her favorites are a little cow rattle and a green frog Eric brought back from Vegas a few weeks ago. She has discovered her feet and loves to try to pull her socks off.

She also drools like crazy! She can soak a bib in no time...I am guessing this is the early start of teething but the pedi said it would most likely be 6 months or so before we actually saw any teeth break through.

Our pediatrician recommends starting her on baby foods between 5-6 months so we will be starting that in the next few weeks. I plan on making a lot of her baby food at home for several reasons...Its tremendously cheaper (a few pennies per oz vs. 60-90 cents per ounce for the canned stuff) and I can control the quality of the foods and no extra preservatives or salt/sugar. A great site for recipes is wholesomebabyfood.com I already have acorn squash, zucchini, and peaches frozen as ready to use cubes. I have some green beans, peas, and sweet potatoes at home that I will work on pureeing and freezing this weekend. All you really need to get started are some ice cube trays, a blender or mixer, and freezer bags. I'm excited about making her foods. I've been a UGA 'Home Economist' for six years and so I get all into canning and food preservation...I am officially a nerd. :)

Brock and Riley gave us several baby items (and tons and tons and tons of clothes) for Laura and so this weekend I was in Eastman and I brought back a ladybug exersaucer. She loves it...and I do too! Its nice to have another place to put her while I get things done around the house...esp when I'm cooking dinner.

Laura and I went to Eastman last weekend to visit my family...we had a great trip. It was nice to see everybody...especially Chris and Jennifer! Its amazing how much she has grown since the last time we went to Eastman...here's two pics for comparison...the first one was taken April 20, 2008 (7 weeks old) and the second was taken this weekend (4 1/2 mos)

July 4th, 2008

2008-07-11T11:50:00.003-04:00

we had a great 4th of July weekend. Amy and Cody came up Thursday night and stayed through Sunday. We had not seen them in about 2 months so it was a long overdue trip! :)

Friday we went to Stone Mountain for the fireworks/laser show. It was a really good show, even though we were stuck in traffic forever getting into (and out of) the park. We didn't get home until after 2am...I can't even remember the last time we were out that late. I am definitely getting old!
I also really experienced how inconvenient hauling strollers and carseats and all that cr*p (oops, i mean, necessary stuff) can be when you are trying to navigate around a few thousand people with blankets all over the ground...Oh well, i guess that is what happens when you have a baby!

Laura loved the fireworks! I was afraid I was going to have 'that baby'...the one that cries and screams the entire show through...but she was fascinated by the fireworks and the laser show. It was great!

Saturday we hung around the house most of the day but we bowling that afternoon...I won, btw... :)

Hope you all had a great holiday weekend!

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Redesign

2008-07-01T12:56:00.000-04:00

I did a little re-design of my blog today...I think overall it looks pretty good. I made the header picture using a nifty little program called ScrapBlog. I have always had good intentions for doing scrapbooks...but over the years, I've spent way too much money and created too few pages to justify doing much paper scrapbooking anymore. However, this digital thing might be a little more to my liking (and its free, except for having your pages professionally printed, but you can also download them to your computer and print them yourself!) It's another way I'm discovering my inner hidden creative personality! :)

I've also sewn a few more burp cloths and finished two dresses that I made for Laura...they were super easy...but since I'm definitely a beginner at this--small successes are good! I still need to finish painting a set of cubbies Eric built for Laura's room but I haven't had time to work on them in a while.

I've also added a few of links to home design and DIY websites I enjoy reading and getting ideas from. Check them out if you get a chance!

Videos

2008-06-08T18:03:00.003-04:00

I also finally updated the video files I had on my phone up to youtube...the quality isn't all that great...but we haven't bought a video camera yet...its on the wish list.

Anyways, if you want to see some videos, you can go to www.youtube.com/sherylnelken

Enjoy.

---Everybody else is outside doing yard work and I've been feeding the baby and putting her to sleep---and it gives me time to post all the blogs! I definitely have the easier job! :) ---

The cutest baby ever...

2008-06-08T17:12:00.003-04:00

Hey! OK here is the Laura pic-heavy slideshow...most of these are from the park we went to Saturday at lunch. We had a great time playing...Laura liked the playground...especially the swings! I think we got some really good pics...and I know I am biased, but really, isn't she beautiful! :)

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Just the two of us...

2008-06-08T15:33:00.003-04:00

Eric and I left Laura with Grand-ma and aunts today so we could have a day to ourselves. We rented a car early Friday morning and drove up to Georgetown, a little mountain town that used to be one of the early 'Gold Rush' boom towns. We toured the touristy shops and ate lunch downtown then went to ride the Georgetown Loop Railroad. It was pretty cool. we rode the train and also took the mine tour.

After the train ride, we decided to take a drive. We drove up the Evans Scenic By-way (the highest paved road in North America---14,130 ft) The last few miles of the road were closed due to heavy snow but we made it almost to the top. We stopped at Evans lake (which was still frozen over). The wind was incredible...At a couple of the pull-offs we stopped and literally had a hard time standing up because the wind was so strong. The views were pretty amazing though.

After we drove back down the mountain we came back into Denver and ate dinner and then met the rest of the family over at Jim and Sue's and then came back home and went to bed! Laura didn't seem like she missed us too much...I think she was pretty spoiled all day :)

-----Grandparent Alert!!--there are zero pics of Laura in this slideshow--but don't despair the next post will have plenty! :)

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Leavin' on a jet plane....

2008-06-05T01:32:00.003-04:00

Hey! We arrived in Colorado yesterday afternoon. Laura did great on the plane. She fussed for a few minutes here and there but 99.9% of the time she was a happy baby. I hope she will be just as good next week when we head home.

These are some pics from Tuesday's flight and today. We stayed around the house most of the day but did go to Chatfield's Park and walked a bit this afternoon. It is supposed to rain tomorrow but hopefully it will clear up by the afternoon and maybe we can get out a bit more.

Have a great day--enjoy the pics!

Sheryl

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3 months old!

2008-05-30T11:14:00.004-04:00

Laura turned three months old on Wednesday...time has just flown by! We had her 3 month pics taken at JcPenney's Mall of GA on Monday. They were fairly busy because it was a holiday but overall I was pretty happy with them. We will probably use them again in the future. Here are a few of the pics I liked.

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Oh, how the years go by....

2008-05-28T16:51:00.006-04:00

I was arranging pics on the computer and noticed the dates...This picture was taken at a family reunion exactly 3 years ago today...5/28/05.

05/20/06---same family reunion, next year...my sister and I get bored at these and take lots of pics :)

Anyway...its finally 5:00 and I am out of here...but just wanted to share my brief little trip down memory lane... :)

Happy Friday!

2008-05-23T15:35:00.003-04:00

Bloom where you're planted...

2008-05-20T19:01:00.000-04:00

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It must be well...

2008-05-19T10:58:00.001-04:00

“Reader, if God has given you His only begotten Son, beware of doubting His kindness and love, in any painful providence of your daily life! Never allow yourself to think hard thoughts of God. Never suppose that He can give you anything which is not really for your good. Remember the words of Paul: ‘He who spared not His own Son—but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things’ (Romans 8:32).

See in every sorrow and trouble of your earthly pilgrimage the hand of Him who gave Christ to die for your sins! That hand can never smite you except in love! He who gave His only begotten Son for you, will never withhold anything from you which is really for your good. Lean back on this thought and be content. Say to yourself in the darkest hour of trial, ‘This also is ordered by Him who gave Christ to die for my sins. It cannot be wrong. It is done in love. It must be well.’" JC Ryle

Baby Dedication

2008-05-13T11:26:00.001-04:00

Hey here is a very quick video I made this morning of Mother's Day and Laura's baby dedication at church... Enjoy!

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Happy Anniversary!

2008-03-17T14:53:00.003-04:00

Eric's parents came up to see Laura...and our anniversary happened to fall while they were here...so Laura had her first babysitting experience (She was two weeks old!) We left her with the grandparents for the evening. We drove over to Dahlonega and ate at Piazza's (a local Italian restaurant) and then walked downtown for a little while. We were only gone for a few hours but it was our first opportunity by ourselves since Laura was born. It was so nice to just get away for a little while!

At First Sight...

2008-03-04T10:52:00.002-05:00

I am sure most of you know the news by now...but Laura Grace has arrived! She was delivered via emergency c-section on Feb 28, 2008...I will be updating the site soon with details. I just wanted to post a quick picture of the first time we met. The past week has been a whirlwind of activity and change...but its all been worth it to bring her into the world...

I will be posting new pics soon...its hard to believe how much she has already changed in 5 days...

Prosperity Gospel---John Piper

2008-02-08T09:40:00.001-05:00

Using what you learn in childbirth class...

2008-02-04T11:41:00.000-05:00

This picture just makes me laugh...! Click on the picture to make it bigger if you can't read it...

Last week, Eric and I finished up our last child-birth class...We took a 4 week class taught by Mrs. Karen Thomas (I highly recommend her class if you are in the Habersham Co area!) Anyway, we learned a lot and I feel much more prepared for the whole experience as a result of the class...

Eric definitely learned some new vocabulary words as well, so when he was at Lowe's this weekend and saw this hangtag in the car next to him--he had to snap a quick picture!

In case you didn't know...here's a vocab lesson for you... "Braxton Hicks---an intermittent, painless contraction that may occur every 10 to 20 minutes after the first trimester of pregnancy. It is commonly referred to as 'false labor' and is responsible for many trips to the hospital yearly, only to have the couple be sent home disappointed..."

I wonder what the story is behind that kids name...?

3D Ultrasound Pics

2008-01-30T16:01:00.001-05:00

Hey! Here are some pics from our 3D ultrasound we had done yesterday...
I also had my regular diagnostic ultrasound done and everything still looks good...she's still a big baby though...this weeks estimate was between 6 and 6.5lbs...

You can see in the pictures that she has very chubby cheeks! :) She had been very active and kicking all morning, but of course, when it was time for the ultrasound...she apparently was sound asleep, so she rarely changed facial expressions (and wouldn't move her hand out from in front of her face!)

Next week when I go in for my regular appt, the tech said if she was more active, she'd record a few more 3-d pics for me...

Snow

2008-01-17T12:23:00.000-05:00

Hey, We woke up this morning to a pretty good accumulation of snow (for this area anyway) and both of us are off work today...woo hoo! :)

Well, we are enjoying our day off being lazy...Enjoy the pics...

Let it snow, Let it snow...or Ice, Ice, Baby?

2008-01-16T11:49:00.000-05:00

They are predicting a couple of inches of snow for us tonight...hopefully it won't turn into ice. Snow is fun..ice is not...since moving up here two years ago, I've been through both...the first year, this is what I woke up to outside of my house...

Last year, this was the much more pleasant scene outside...

We'll just have to wait and see what's in store for this year!

In other news, I start weekly ultrasound or 'biophysical profile' monitoring this week to make sure everything is progressing well with Laura...Since the last time I posted anything about it, I've had to start taking Insulin for the Gestational Diabetes. Luckily, I've just been able to take a pill twice a day (no shots-for now) Well, other than monitoring sugar levels 4 times a day...

Since I've now become 'insulin-dependent' I get monitored a lot more closely. Each week they will give me a 'score' for the baby. Ideally, she should score an 8 each time. Mainly, I think they are checking her for weight gain and lung development. I have my first profile appt tomorrow (assuming the roads are drivable) so I should know more about how it will work soon.

We've also made some progress on the baby's room...I'll try to take some pictures to post later in the week.

Have a great day! :)

Christmas In Review

2008-01-07T14:59:00.001-05:00

Hey! I apologize for being late in updating the site...we've been pretty busy the past few weeks with traveling and getting baby stuff ready.

Enjoy the video with pics from Christmas 2007...I'll update with more info on what's going on in our lives soon (hopefully even today!)

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas and a Christ-filled New Year!

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Happy 1yr Anniversary!

2007-12-17T13:42:00.000-05:00

Happy anniversary (Dec 16th) to my sister Amy and her husband Cody!

I love you!

Dr's Appt Update

2007-12-06T16:42:00.000-05:00

We had a drs appt on Tuesday. Everything looked great with the baby...We had another ultrasound done and they were able to see everything in the stomach area that they were not able to see last time.

The not-so-great news was that I had my one hour glucose test and my numbers came back a little high...so on Monday I have to do a 3 hour test at the Dr's office. I think I'm going to feel like a pin-cushion by the end. I'm hoping I don't have Gestational Diabetes...but if it does come back positive, I'll do whatever I have to do.

Saying no to all those Christmas desserts is going to be a challenge though! :)

Oh yeah, we have also officially decided on....Laura Grace Nelken. Its so nice to have finally have a name picked out!

Introducing....Laura Grace Nelken

2007-12-06T15:25:00.001-05:00

2007-12-03T13:08:00.000-05:00

View from our room when we checked in...

Downtown Gatlinburg after dinner

In Asheville,NC on a trail Sunset views on the way home...off the Blue Ridge Parkway...

Gatlinburg, TN

2007-12-03T12:56:00.001-05:00

Apologies for the delay in updating...I only have a few seconds to post today during lunch, but wanted to post some new pics...Eric and I went on a mini-vacation last week to the Gatlinburg area...we had a great trip...it was nice to get away for a few days! I'm also posting a couple of pics of some Christmas decor at the house....Enjoy!

Sheryl

Give Thanks...

2007-11-20T10:43:00.000-05:00

2007. It’s been a wonderful year, full of answered prayers and dreams come to fruition, and a contented peace with those prayers which have not yet been answered. The older I get, the more I see loss around me, the more I experience it personally, the more near-misses I am made aware of, the more I am absolutely convinced that it is a complete waste not to live life moment by moment, appreciating all that has been given in that moment.

I think it’s natural to long for what used to be, for what has passed, for what has been lost. But a person who consistently takes notice of all that is being given, who has the presence of heart and mind to say thank you, not only to God, but to the people around him, knows a different kind of longing than the person who takes it all for granted, who thinks of life’s gifts as permanent, who is never really conscious of what he holds right in his hands until it vanishes. A person who is present to their world and to the people around them has the peace of knowing that, were they to live it all over again, they’d probably do it much the same. There’s no if only I would’ve… only an "I’m so glad I did…"

None of it is owed us. All is a gift. And what a gift it is.

We are leaving tonight to start our Thanksgiving family visits. I am so excited to be going home. I didn't realize until I started to write, but I am a bit homesick, I suppose. Not in the sense that I wish I was back in Eastman, but its more of a longing for my family--for the love and support and encouragement they are to me...even when they don't realize it...I am ready to go home! We are staying in Eastman tonight through Thursday evening and then driving to Augusta to celebrate with Eric's family until Saturday. We are also going to pick up our changing table from their house and bring it back...I'm excited to start putting the furniture in the nursery!

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving this year---slow down and appreciate all the blessings God has given you...Appreciate your friends and family a little more. Although it seems like people will always be around, although it seems like there’ll always be ample time for being together (not just existing in the same proximity, but really, truly being together)… the truth is, it’s not so. People move on, people move away, people pass away. Opportunities are given; sometimes they are enjoyed, sometimes they are missed… but there is always an end to them. Maybe it’s a little more tangible with our older loved ones, but life offers no guarantees…

All the people we love, all the moments we get to share with them… they are precious. As Frederick Buechner says, “if you were aware of how precious [today] is, you could scarcely live through it. Unless you are aware of how precious it is, you can hardly be said to be living at all.”

In all the hectic rush and stresses that often accompany these next few weeks, my prayer for you would be that, more than anything, you are rich in moments and memories and people. May your heart be full, and may the people you love know it.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I Would Die For That

2007-11-20T09:47:00.000-05:00

Someone sent me the link to this video recently...I have several friends who have recently lost pregnancies or have not yet been able to conceive...this video makes me think of them...

I don't understand why God chooses not to bless some couples with children who want them so much...but He does...

I don't understand why God chose to make Eric and I parents so soon after we got married...but He does...

I pray that we will be faithful to be Godly parents to our daughter. We don't have the strength to do it...but He does...

Baby Bedding

2007-11-12T18:12:00.000-05:00

Which ones do you like? Ebay is definitely the way to go for crib sets...Just trying to narrow down which one I like best... The first one is my favorite so far.

Baby News!!

2007-11-09T14:43:00.000-05:00

Hi! Yes, I know I have been a terrible blogger by not updating this page...I will try to do better from now on...I promise! :) (I am posting several updates today...so read down several posts to catch all the news)

I thought I would start with the most life changing news we've got to share...we're having a baby GIRL!! We had an ultrasound on Tuesday afternoon (11/6) and baby Nelken is most definitely a girl...we were both so surprised...When I first found out I was pregnant, I thought it was a girl but as the months went by I became convinced it was a boy. I am so excited to know what we are having now...it makes this all seem much more real. I can stop saying he/she every time I talk about the baby and (my favorite) I can start shopping for baby girl items, haha.

Everything looked good at the drs appt, but I do have to have a repeat ultrasound at my next appt in Dec because they weren't able to clearly see the baby swallow. The doc said she doesn't think its anything to worry about--they just weren't able to see clearly because of the way the baby was turned, so for now, I'm just thankful everything else looked great and sorta excited that now I get another chance to see the baby on next visit. :) I am definitely feeling the baby move regularly now. Its such a strange sensation. Kinda feels like little muscle twitches or like someone is tapping on my stomach from the inside out..(which now that I think about it--that is exactly what is happening!)

Here's a picture from Tuesday's ultrasound...Its of her face (looking towards us) and upper body...I'm also posting one from our first ultrasound back in August...she has definitely grown...according to the dr she weighs a little over one pound now and is still on schedule to make her debut into the world in early March 2008...only around 17 more weeks to go!

"Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile."

2007-11-09T14:32:00.000-05:00

There are many things I love about living here in the mountains...one of which is that I get to really experience all four seasons. Right now, we are in the middle of one of my favorite...Fall!

While it has been below freezing most mornings this week and returns to near freezing shortly after sunset...in the afternoons it has been gorgeous weather. The leaves have been a few weeks late in changing so right now everything is at its peak fall beauty. Today during lunch I drove a few miles out on Hwy 129 north of Clarkesville to enjoy the scenery. Here are a couple of pics from my drive/walk by the Soque River.

"How beautifully the leaves grow old. How full of light and color their last days."
-- Author:John Burroughs

Apples and Pumpkins

2007-11-09T13:57:00.000-05:00

Here's a recap on some of our other fall traditions we've started...

Last year Eric and I took Sarabeth and Jamie Gant, two of my favorite kids in the world (and our flowergirls at the wedding) out to Burts Pumpkin Farm for a hayride and to pick some pumpkins...We had such a good time last year...and enjoyed cooking all sorts of pumpkin treats for weeks afterwards, we decided to go back this year (but without the girls). Afterwards we also drove up to Ellijay hoping to get some 'pick your own' apples but the 'pick your own' season was apparently pretty short this year because of the late freeze last spring...but we were able to pick up a couple of bags of apples. Eric can cook some awesome apple pies...and I love to eat them (I mean, I am eating for two now, right...? just kidding)

We also picked up a pumpkin to bring back to carve...believe it or not, before this year, I had never carved a pumpkin in my life...! This year, I did chicken out and go with one of the simplest patterns in the book...but I think he turned out pretty cute..Next year, I think I'll be more daring with my carving creation...

Enjoy!

2007-10-09T14:56:00.000-04:00

Well, its almost 5:00...so time for me to get off the computer and head home--but before I left, I wanted to add some pictures from the last few months...

Enjoy the slideshow...leave comments...otherwise I have no idea if anybody is actually reading this thing! :)

Getting started

2007-10-01T19:01:00.000-04:00

Hi...Test post