meet the tatums.

a new location

2011-10-10T23:22:00.002-04:00

hello friends,

if you have followed us these past four years, or if you are new to the blog, we have moved.

you can find us at lydiandrewtatum.blogspot.com

see you there!

l & a

does God have an office window?

2011-09-10T21:46:00.000-04:00

This past week marked the beginning of my son’s school year here at Trinity Preschool. It has been an interesting change for me, in that last year David was half way across town at another daycare. The benefit of having him right here at the church is an obvious savings in gas and time. I love knowing that he is just down the stairs, and I love knowing his wonderful teachers, many of whom are members here at Trinity. He gets the opportunity to grow with and love his church family even more now that he is here everyday of the week!

I was standing by my office window yesterday watching David play on our playground with his school friends. And then it struck me: this must be what God feels like when he watches his children grow, play, and even sometimes mess up. You see, two days ago I watched David exhibit some not so nice behavior on the playground when he wanted a particular toy. The mom in me was horrified. What was it that I did to lead him down this wayward path? Where did I need to make changes to help him grow and mature to know that we need to take turns with our friends? And, now I wonder, does God’s chest tighten and his breath grow shallow when we, his children, stumble and disappoint?

Now, on the flip side of this, I do have to say that today as I looked down from my office window, I was able to see David playing nicely with two little girls who were coloring with sidewalk chalk in the corner. I was able to hear him call his friends by name and ask them, “How you doin’ today?” My face was soon overtaken by my proud momma smile. And now I wonder, is this what God’s face looks like and what his heart feels like when he sees us fulfilling his dream for us? I hope so.

Let us all go forward in our lives ever-striving to fill God’s face with a proud smile and his heart with eternal joy.

butterscotch pie recipe

2011-08-28T22:06:00.004-04:00

it certainly has been a while since i have last posted a recipe.

a big part of my anxiety-relief is baking.

and, i've been doing a lot of baking recently.

pies, particularly.

and, so here i post one of my favorite pies - my annual birthday pie, in fact.

Filling Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter

1 ½ cups packed brown sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

3 tbsp. flour

½ tsp salt

1 cup milk

4 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

Pie Crust Ingredients:

8 tbsp. unsalted butter (cut into ½ in. cubes and chilled in the freezer for one hour)

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1tsp sugar

3-4 tbsp ice water

Meringue Ingredients:

4 egg whites

¼ tsp cream of tartar

½ cup fine granulated sugar

½ tsp vanilla

Bake pie crust. (recipe following the butterscotch recipe)

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it begins to brown. Stir in the brown sugar. Add 1 1/2 cups hot water and whisk until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook for 2 more minutes, remove from heat, and set aside.

Combine the cornstarch, flour, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk in 1 cup of milk until smooth and pour into the butter mixture. Temper the milk mixture by spooning ½ cup of the butter mixture into the bowl gradually. Once the milk is tempered, pour the mixture into the butter mixture. Lightly beat the egg yolks together in a medium bowl. Again, temper the eggs by spooning ½ cup of the butter/milk mixture into the eggs gradually. Whisk egg mixture into milk mixture until no yellow streaks remain. Stir mixture with wooden spoon over medium heat until the mixture comes to a simmer. Continue to stir for one minute. Clumps will begin to form, just keep stirring until you have a completely smooth butterscotch.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Make meringue.

Pour into the baked pie crust, and spoon meringue over whole pie, making sure to seal the meringue to the edge of the crust.Bake for 15-18 minutes (or until golden brown) at 350.

For the Meringue:

Whip 4 eggs whites until foamy. Add in ¼ tsp. of cream of tartar. Whip on medium until soft peaks form. Add ½ cup sugar in gradually while whipping at high speed until stiff white peaks for (be sure not to over whip and dry out the meringue). Add ½ tsp vanilla.

Pie Crust:

Pre-heat the oven to 375.

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor (chopper, grinder, etc... whatever you call it)Cut butter into the flour mixture by pulsing the chopper until butter is about pea-sized.Add ice water 1 tbsp at a time until the mixture begins to come together in peppercorn-sized crumbs.

Dump the mixture out onto a floured surface. Form the crumbs into a disc by pressing, be careful not to over-kneed the dough, but make sure everything is fully incorporated.

Lightly flour on all sides and wrap in saran wrap. Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

About 10 minutes before rolling, take the dough out of the refrigerator to come down in temperature. Roll dough out until it is about 2 inches wider in diameter than your pie dish.

Depending on your pie dish, you may need to butter and flour the dish (glass, for instance). Fold your dough in half and transfer it to the dish and unfold and crimp the edges as you would like. Poke holes in the bottom of the crust to allow for ventilation. Place foil over the crust and fill with pie weights (or dried beans) for blind baking. Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Then remove the foil and weights to bake the crust for another 5 minutes (or until golden).

potty & pies

2011-08-20T22:09:00.006-04:00

Well, I've locked myself in my house for the past three days with a naked baby and five pounds of flour with the mission of potty training a precocious, pint-sized person and perfecting my pie-making portfolio. I am happy to say, mission {mostly} accomplished. I have made two pretty darn near perfect pies and a scrumptious {yet slightly under-seasoned for my taste}quiche, and by day two of potty training we were completely accident-free. Here on day three we even braved a grocery store mission wearing only big boy pants with Buzz and Woody on the front. And, happily, I announce that Buzz and Woody made it home just as dry as when they left.

Not to make myself sound like super-woman or anything, but I even kept up with work {writing and designing curriculum for Sunday school and for Wednesday night discipleship training, making the announcements sheets for tomorrow morning, scheduling a ridiculous amount of meetings, etc}.

And though I try to feed my child only the most nutritious of meals regularly, I will admit {just to help you understand that I am not super woman} that I fed him pb&j for nearly every meal and allowed him to watch ungodly amounts of television.

Here's the link to my recipe, in case you are interested in baking the result of my hard work and love... the best butterscotch pie to ever have been made.

It is so good that God even commissioned me to make these for heaven on a weekly basis.

my sweet geraldina

2011-08-03T07:39:00.007-04:00

it has been no secret to those who know us best that husband and i are called to love those whom God made extra special.

since i was about 13 or 14 years old i have felt that God made me to raise, love, and care for a child with special needs - whether physical, mental, or both.

as husband and i dreamed of our future family before we were married, we both knew that in some form or fashion people living with disabilities would be a huge part of our lives.

here is where our story and peru collide:

from the moment andy (the bossman) told me that one of our ministry sites would be a long-term care hospital for children living with disabilities, i knew that was exactly where i wanted to be.

he let me know, though, that we would be rotating ministry sites between the groups throughout the week, so i would only be able to be there one morning of our mission.

but, through a lucky turn of events i did get to go twice.

my first morning there, i met geraldina - a sweet little girl with moderate physical handicaps (including issues with her legs, coordination with her hands, and extreme sensitivity to light in her eyes) and some mild mental handicaps.

she spoke and comprehended very well - if only I spoke more Spanish!

but, i was able to comprehend her basic requests.

we hugged and kissed and giggled.

and, we played patty cake and held hands.

i was able to help her use the bathroom (i was especially proud that i could understand what she was asking when she needed to go!) and wash her hands.

i helped her with her meal, although, she was doing a wonderful job feeding herself (a skill that she has just recently mastered)!

she is so wonderful and it filled my heart with joy when she asked for me by name when i had left her side to give some love and attention to another child for just a few moments.

when we had to say "chao!" i was so happy to say to her "hasta manana!"

and i was all the more happy to see her eyes light up when she replied "manana!"

i was (and am) so happy that i was able to see her for a second time.

when i saw her again yesterday, she was not having a very good morning.

there was a man there shooting a promotional video for a telethon to raise money for the clinic, and he was intent on having all of the children outside waving their hands to a particular song.

and the longer he waited, the more tired and frustrated the children became.

geraldina was particularly unhappy because the sun hurt her eyes.

but, i was happy to get a smile or two when i went over to give her kisses and encourage her to "sonrisa por la camera!"

she would smile momentarily and then hide her eyes again.

once we were inside, she was much happier to smile and give kisses and hugs.

i was so happy to hold her tiny hands again.

i hated to leave her yesterday, but i know how much the nurses and the daily volunteers love on those children.

i will never have to worry about her knowing how special she is.

my time at san juan de dios only solidified/confirmed/re-affirmed my call to give my life to a child (or children) who need extra special love and care.

today, i get to spend my morning with my other favorite group - senior adults!

until later -

chao!

you can check out the rest of our peruvian happenings at:

http://tbccollegetoperu.blogspot.com/

peru

2011-08-02T08:37:00.005-04:00

well, husband has failed on updating the blog while i am here in peru.

so, here's my brief update:

peru is beautiful.

the landsacpe, the people, the culture.

it is really hard not to see and experience God's presence while working 12,000ft. above sea level in the andes.

the children are so beautiful and so loving.

they just want to hold you and never let go,

and believe me, we don't want to let go of them either.

the best part of my time here has been spent at san juan de dios - a government/Catholic church owned hospital for children with physical and mental handicaps.

my time there has only affirmed my calling to adopt a child who needs extra special love and care.

i would love to share more, and i will as soon as i am home holding my husband and david andrew.

until then, chao!

lydia and geraldina at lunch time :)

joy.

2011-07-26T22:27:00.005-04:00

today was perfect.

cousin coop stopped by for a visit early before david andrew woke up.

we had breakfast. we walked. we played. we target-ed {yes, i just made target a verb}.

we ate. we napped. we laughed. we loved.

by 5:45, coop went home, and the mister and i parted our ways for our respective churches and duties - he to a meeting and i to our middle school summer Bible study.

it was so wonderful to sit with my middle schoolers and share with them the joy of being a disciple.

i think they got it, and i think they got me.

by 8 we were home in the bath tub, tucker walked, house vacuumed + swept...

once tiny toenails and fingernals were trimmed, ears and teeth cleaned, and tush dipered, david andrew and i were well into our reading for the night.

we snuggled, prayed, and sang.

and, off to dreamland he went.

by 9 husband was home.

tea was steeping.

and, i was well into my blueberries + dark chocolate.

now, i am taking a break from curriculum writing to let you, the blogosphere, know just how incredibly joyful i am tonight.

this is my respite in the final leg of this summer ministry madness.

thursday i head off to peru to love God's children there.

i am anxious, but i am ready.

i am ready to help my college students discover a different way to know and love God by loving her children.

tonight, i am so thankful for the joy that only comes from God.

my heart is swelling with the Spirit and love overflows.

and to think, even more joy comes with the morning...

another awesome day

2011-07-19T22:31:00.003-04:00

so, we have the best people in the whole of the cosmos.

yesterday, we acquired a basket of tomatoes, photos of our child, and the gifting of a print of our choice from the lovely ashley stephenson of story photographers .

just because.

from these gorgeous fruits, i made this yummy sauce... that kind of looks like vomit in the picture, but certainly did not taste like vomit in my mouth.

weird statement? yeah, weird.

whatevs.

while i was saucin' it up in the kitchen, david hosted our favorite little house guest, cousin coop. they had some much fun playing together. and, i began to notice that my child is much better behaved when he feels superior to minions a whole eight months younger than he.

if i were to say, for instance, "david, you need to pick up your toys before we eat lunch," he would then reply with a yeah-right-mom-i'm-just-going-to-pretend-like-i-didn't-hear-that-cold shoulder.

but, today when i said, "hey, david, can you show coop how to clean up our toys before lunch," he was more than obliging with his smug i'm-older-and-therefore-wiser-than-you "here, cooper, this is how we clean up."

i'll take it.

...

after their naps this afternoon, david decided it was photo shoot time and commenced barking direction to us, his subjects.

he's been pretty into cameras recently

{check out the side bar photo with his vintage kodak}.

so, i snapped this pensive little shot of our budding artist.

here he is in action.

who doesn't love a "let's take pictures of each other taking pictures of each other" shot?

coop was totally into being his model.

he said "cheese" everytime ansel adams demanded.

i hope your day was as awesome as ours.

well, hello...

2011-07-18T21:28:00.006-04:00

long time no blog.

i'm not sure how to explain the absence other than to list all of the life that has happened since february.

hopefully, i will be able to get back on the blogging wagon, and these life issues will be hashed out further than a mere list of crazy events.

so, here goes:

1. david andrew turned 2 and has not stopped talking, learning, exploring, and amazing us since.

2. i became a licensed minister and david andrew was dedicated to the church all in one day.

3. i began a beautiful journey of spiritual renewal and self discovery which was very tough at the time and effected all aspects of my life, but now has left me transformed and more in tune with God and with myself.

4. taxes. we owed too much thanks to a mistake that i made on my w-2. awesome.

5. taxes. the commonwealth of virginia would like to tax me on income i made in nc while living in nc, for which i have already paid taxes in nc. again, awesome.

6. while i was on an amazing mission trip with the high school students from trinity, my aunt suddenly and tragically passed away.

7. this all happened just before finals.

8. i took an incomplete in each of my classes. not my high point in academia.

...

9. i began a journey of physical renewal - as a family, we began the routine of walking 2-4 miles every morning, we began paying more attention to our portions, and we began personal fitness {i with yoga, and andrew with cycling}.

10. i have lost 20 lbs, and i feel great! andrew has lost 25!

11. andrew, his sister {aka aunt claire}, and his brother {aka uncle harry} all graduated this spring!!!

12. my beautiful sister married her sweet husband and moved to chattanooga.

13. andrew went on mission with his youth to the christian activity center in east st. louis, and came back with a wonderful plan for his students and smithfield.

14. we moved closer to the church, and we love it!

15. one day after moving, i took my middle school students to camp, and we all had the time of our lives!

16. upon my return, andrew left for camp with his students.

... and we are caught up to this very moment, where i sit before you blogging.

through all of the beauty and ashes of the past few months, we have truly come to know the love of our friends and family.

we have learned to humble ourselves and ask for help when we needed it.

and, we have learned to allow others to love us, even when it hurts our pride not to be able to handle things on our own.

we're still not completely caught up, but we are getting to the place where we see the finish line just over the horizon.

and, the best part of this crazy, never boring life?

david andrew.

{photo taken by the lovely Ashley 7.7.11}

belated valentine's post: what i love about motherhood

2011-02-15T21:06:00.003-05:00

I'm not quite sure where to begin on this post. There is so much that I love about being a mother. Andrew and I have often said that we have never had so much fun in our lives. David keeps us laughing and playing. He keeps us grounded. And, he constantly reminds us of our love for each other.

I believe that I was made to be a mother.

I loved it from the beginning.

I have never felt more like a woman or more peace with myself than when I was pregnant.

I took my role as a sacred vessel of growing life quite seriously... meaning I convinced Andrew to give me back rubs nearly every night, strangers carried things for me, and I slept about 10-12 hours each night.

I ate more healthily than ever, knowing what I ate ultimately could shape my child's health for the rest of his life.

I loved my body for the first time that I could remember.

Once David was born, I felt like I was in a never-ending dream.

We loved and cuddled for the most part of every day.

And, believe it or not, I could not wait until he needed to eat again - those sweet, sweet hormones were enough to keep me going through those first couple of weeks of pain.

I remember how great it felt.

All at once I would be overcome with love, my body would relax completely, and I would immediately crave a huge glass of water.

Now that David is two, I look back on those days and miss them so very much.

I look at pictures of how tiny he once was, and I cannot believe that his sweet, little coos have turned into "Mommy, go!" and "What the heck?"

Each stage is a surprise.

And, each phase is as much rewarding as it is frustrating.

I know that if we had unlimited funds, we would have a dozen.

I love watching David as he discovers new things each day.

And, I love hearing his vocabulary grow and grow.

I love listening to him interact with our church family.

And, I love it when he calls them by name.

I love hearing him sing "Marching to Zion" and "The Wheels on the Bus."

I love tickle fights and reading together.

I love bedtime with songs, stories, and prayer.

I love hearing him call "Mommy, where are you?" in the mornings.

And, I love hearing him say his blessing before dinner.

I love that he's begun telling me about his bathroom habits - "Mommy, biper change!" and "I poopded!"

I love his smile, and I love his hugs.

I love his expressive face.

And, I love his personality.

Not a day goes by where I am not overwhelmed with the love and joy that is motherhood.

So, thank you, Andrew, for embarking on this amazing journey with me.

You have been so loving and so supportive.

You've bent over backwards for me to pursue my callings - motherhood and ministry.

{and, if I ever chose to write a book with such a title, you would read, edit, and peddle it for me}

I cannot wait to do it all over again and grow together as a family of three, four, five, or twelve.

You are my best friend and the best dad in the world.

I could not have chosen a better man with whom to raise children.

happy valentine's day.

two.

2011-02-01T21:56:00.006-05:00

how old are you, david?

"i two!"

and, since i'm two, i'm going to act all nonchalant about it...

...and wear my trendy glasses and plaid shirt with rolled up sleeves, while blogging on my macbook pro.

later taters.

sweet saturday

2011-01-29T22:47:00.006-05:00

update: upon reading this post, i realize how boring a list post like this one may be, but i feel it completely necessary for me to document such days in an attempt to prepare for the inevitable demise of my mind as i slip slowly into the senility of old age, for i turn all of 25 in march.

david and i had the most awesome day today.

the morning came early, too early, as i had to wake david up instead of the usual vice versa.

he was so excited to go watch the upward basketball games at church.

you see, i was there to deliver the devotion for both the 8am and 9am games.

david got to run around, watch the big kids play, and hang out with some of his favorite people

{including, but not limited to, ms. anne, "wogan," also know as logan, and mr. john}.

once we got home, it was almost time for lunch and nap,

so we watched alice in wonderland and chomped down some carrots, turkey, and a banana.

i had my inaugural peer learning group meeting at 12:30, so david went down for his nap and the babysitter soon arrived.

the best part, for him, i'm sure, was waking up from his nap to find his absolute favorite non-blood relative, bethie, aka "bebbie," in the house.

he was none too happy to drop bebbie off at her house as he screamed "bebbie" all the way home.

once we were home, david and i both had a qick change, and we walked up to the coffee shop to meet up with nonni and skip who drove down for a quick visit.

we all went down to the dress shop for mom to look at a dress for kesal's wedding,

but soon after our arrival, david and skipper made their exit.

a short time later, they returned - david with a new jacket, hat, and flashlight from great outdoor provision co. and skipper with a giant grin on his face.

once you see the pictures i post tomorrow, you will understand skipper's grin a bit more clearly.*

after the bridal store, david and i walked home for yet another quick change and skip and nonni met us there before our dinner date at the hibernian.

david and i shared shepherd's pie as skip devoured his bangers and mash and nonni enjoyed her potato crusted salmon which was very similar to fish pie, just deconstructed.

most likely it was originally fish pie on the menu, but no yank would dare order something so disgustingly named but delectably devour-able.

all in all, it was a super day!

david was exhausted at the end of it all, and we sang some hymns as he so sweetly drifted off to sleep.

i hope your saturday was just as sweet.

*photos to follow

hello monday!

2011-01-24T20:03:00.002-05:00

it's monday, and i'm exhausted.

i'm not usually one to dread mondays, but this monday comes after busing 120ish people to and from our winter retreat... with a nagging cold complete with an unending runny nose and a cough that sounds like a seal barking.

nevertheless, we are here on the other side.

david is super excited about school, as usual.

and, andrew and i are figuring out another week filled with strict budgets and tight jeans.

maybe this will be the week when our lack of funds forces us to start that new years' diet we've been meaning to get on.

i'm off to read for class while sitting romantically by the humidifier.

later taters.

i miss my boys... and you need to see more pictures of them

2011-01-22T15:52:00.002-05:00

a brighter day

2011-01-17T08:45:00.004-05:00

i am stuck at home today with "flu-like symptoms" which really means that i cannot breathe, i have a headache, i had a fever, my throat hurts, and i did not sleep at all last night.

so to make myself feel a bit better until the theraflu gets here and to make good on this promise,

here are some photos that brighten even the darkest day.

more to come later... maybe after i wake from my drug-induced sleep and right before i take some more theraflu...

LOVE

thanks story photographers for the captured memories.

cause of death: beans and greens; or, an ode to david

2011-01-15T20:42:00.005-05:00

i am assuming that is what did me in.

this morning i woke to contractions.

and then i realized that i am not pregnant.

i tossed and turned and refused to step outside of the confines of my home for fear of the potential for embarrassing moments.

today we were under a code orange.

it could have been worse, i'm sure;

but i was not about to chance it.

i like my bathroom.

i do not, however, have the same affection for public restrooms.

i am sure that you did not need to know any of this,

but i felt the need to justify my remaining in my pajamas until 3pm only to, then, change into lounge clothes.

and, though this day was meant to be filled with breakfast in moore square, basketball, and middle school missions supply shopping, i feel that it turned out just the way i would have liked it. which brings me to how my day really went, other than the crippling side effects of pintos and collards.

i got to spend my whole day with david

who just wants to have fun.

with me.

so, for this post, i plan to launch into a full list of all of the reasons my son is the best just based on today's events.

read on if you like.

1. out of the blue, he got within inches of my face with a huge, mischievous grin only to then rub noses with me while holding on to either side of my face.

2. he has already mastered the art of saying movie lines as the movie is rolling. while incredibly annoying to some, this practice fills my heart with pride as my son begins to walk in the footsteps of his movie-quoting mom.

3. he dances like a maniac. on the floor.

4. he sings all of my songs with me, which include, but is not limited to, marching to zion, jesus loves the little children, and jesus loves me.

5. he has a new favorite book that he picked out at the library.

6. to go along with number 2 in this list, he thinks that he is woody from toy story. he goes around yelling "andy!" "yee haw!" "giddy up!" and "where's my hat?"

{the last on is from toy story three... not sure why he has attached himself to that line, but he feels that he is not a real cowboy without his hat}

7. this is what he does when something particularly astonishing happens in his movie.

the list could and will continue,

but for now i've got to go collect some dirt for the most awesome children's sermon ever.

LOVE

ice day

2011-01-11T20:52:00.005-05:00

we may have been the only city in the southeastern portion of the country who did not receive a beautiful blanket of snow,

but the ice came out in full force.

although i hate the ice,

we had a pretty spectacular day;

and i apologize for the conspicuous lack of photo documentation.

we all slept in way past our normal wake up calls, and we woke up to have a leisurely breakfast around the kitchen table?!?

never happens.

usually david eats in his high chair as andrew and i frantically try to get ourselves to some point of presentability, and thus, forget breakfast for ourselves all together.

after breakfast and a few morning games with d-money,

we all bundled up to explore the ice outside and brave the slick sidewalk to the library.

david loved the ice and the ways it crunched under his feet.

he did not so much like it when the sidewalk was a solid sheet of ice and he had no clue why he could no longer stand up.

once safely in the library, david took off; and with some anxiety, i thought that we might be able to sit down and have a lovely read.

not so.

the hulk came out to play and our child threw himself on the floor and screamed like a banshee.

we quickly exited, while daddys checked out two books to read in the confines of our own home.

we're not sure that the library and its patrons are ready for david.

so, once home we all sat down for lunch - hot sandwiches and the minestrone that i made last night

{which i thought was better today after sitting overnight}.

david and i cuddled and read substitute groundhog in honor of his quickly approaching day of birth.

{his due date was february 2, but he likes to be prepared. so, he came the day before}

the rest of the day was filled with naps, books, and a really great red lentil and rice dish whipped up by the hubs with some pretty awesome corn muffins.

sum total of the day = perfect.

i hope your ice day was just as grand.

LOVE

give us this day our daily bread

2011-01-09T22:25:00.004-05:00

although i am currently experiencing God, in my personal spiritual reflection, sans masculine language,

i still love, respect, teach, and pray the Lord's Prayer, which starts out "Our Father."

today, david picked up his book entitled, Our Father, and he began to recite the Lord's Prayer without any prompting or help along the way.

it was pretty amazing to hear my son recite the prayer of our ancestors and of our Lord.

he's the bees knees.

saturday

2011-01-08T21:24:00.005-05:00

we had a pretty calm saturday.

it seems like we have not spent a saturday at home without anything to do in a while.

so, it was nice today.

although, i think tucker, or rather "suckers" as david likes to all him, was a little fed up with us taking over his personal space

{i.e. the couch, the bed, the floor, etc.}.

we ate some yummy pears, watched fantasia {the prototype for baby einstein, i'm pretty sure}, napped, played with our rad christmas loot, and attended the most intense middle school girls church league basketball game of all time.

all in all, it was close to perfection.

i hope your days are still merry and bright.

LOVE

still eating like it's 1999

2011-01-03T19:57:00.003-05:00

we are still eating leftovers from new years...

and if i did not have enough collards this week,

i willingly ordered them at the q-shack for lunch today.

needless to say... we're all clean here :)

also...

2011-01-01T10:58:00.004-05:00

we hate it when daddy leaves.

but, he will be back soon with all of the ingredients for a wonderful new year's day meal:

hoppin' john

collards

corn bread

i hope your day is as wonderful as ours.

notoriously bad hair

2011-01-01T10:53:00.003-05:00

david's hair has quite the reputation for being disheveled and in need of a professional touch.

well, while at skip and nonni's this week, he got that professional touch.

and, this is what it looks like.

i'm thinking an act of God may be the only solution.

obligatory nye post...

2010-12-31T23:14:00.004-05:00

here we are less than an hour away from 2011;

and as most bloggers, I, too, feel obliged to look back on the past year and write my hopes for the future.

2010 marked david's first birthday, first words, first steps, first move, and a myriad of other firsts.

it marked a year of few blog posts,

but many beautiful memories.

it marked a major transition for our family in my accepting a new position at tbc,

and it marked tbc's vote to license me as a minister.

it marked andrew's completion of the masters of divinity program.

and it marked my little sister's engagement.

with so much to be thankful for behind us, i feel guilty hoping for anything before us.

but, as it is, i still hope and dream for the year to come.

in 2011, i pray that my sense of calling to serve in vocational ministry will be affirmed in my ordination.

i pray that david will grow and mature into a loving and kind little boy.

andrew and i are looking forward to potentially buying a house and establishing some strong roots here in raleigh for a good, long time.

i hope to become more organized at home,

and i hope to spend more time being creative and less time being stressed.

i look forward to many quiet nights with my husband filled with love and laughs and, most of all, his presence.

i pray for strength and determination in potty training david.

i pray for the spiritual growth of the youth of tbc.

i pray for many more nights of good food and fellowship with our beautiful friends.

i pray for the growth and bond of my peer learning group.

and, i pray that i might decrease so that God might increase in me.

a somewhat lengthy, yet incomplete list of hopes, prayers, and dreams for the coming year.

may God bless and keep you all in the year to come.

LOVE

best husband ever...

2010-12-30T21:40:00.003-05:00

three years ago, my newly snagged husband endured 9 cycles of America's Next Top Model and an absolutely disgusting new wife constantly sniffling and asking him to speak up due to a double ear infection and sinus infection combo.

did i mention that was our honeymoon?

this year, on the day after our third anniversary {and not because of our anniversary at all, but because he loves me}, he entered the house at 9:30 after returning some library books with chai in hand.

i did not ask for chai;

but because we are practically the same person and he always knows when i need a hot beverage, he ventured out to find me a pick-me-up when i am supposed to be finishing up my sermon for sunday

{and, again, i am blogging}.

cheers to you, my darling.

christmas wrap up

2010-12-30T14:08:00.004-05:00

we're back on bellwood for good... all of our Christmas traveling is done.

this Christmas has been the most fun.

andrew and i were both so frazzled when we realized that Christmas was here and we just were not ready for it.

we weren't worried about not being ready with Christmas presents or decorations;

we were just not mentally prepared for the slowing down that needed to take place in order for us to really celebrate.

but, as we have come through all of the traveling and family time, we both agree that this Christmas had to be the best ever.

david had so much fun being with all of the family - calling them all by name, giving out hugs, tearing into presents, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

andrew and i celebrated our anniversary a day early {because david stayed in virginia with skip and nonni (my parents)} by making dinner with some really great friends and having so much fun laughing together.

and, now we're finally home, and instead of putting the finishing touches on my sermon for sunday, i am blogging.

and, that's the icing on the cake for this Christmas season - i'm blogging again.

LOVE

a snow-covered village

2010-12-26T21:49:00.003-05:00

well, there's enough snow to go around here in raleigh.

waking up this morning, the village was quiet, and i didn't even have to look outside to know snow had hushed the village.

husband and i woke up without any place to go.

all of our obligations buried under six inches of etherial powder.

i cannot tell you the last time we woke up and were able to simply enjoy each other's presence without the rush of the day hustling us out of bed.

the snow fell throughout the morning and into the early afternoon.

we tried to get david to nap as soon as we could so he would have plenty of daylight to enjoy the snow, but alas the quiet afforded us by the snow allowed him to nap well past dusk.

so, our plans for winter fun have been moved to tomorrow morning.

bright and early.

photos to follow.

LOVE

christmastide

2010-12-26T14:50:00.007-05:00

obviously i haven't blogged in a while, so the point of today is to photodump what few photos i have.

we've had a wonderful christmas.

last week we visited the tatum/hershenson's in waynesville and the lee in asheville.

it was so great to spend time with andrew's family and with our friend jenny.

david had a ball with his uncle harry who never fails to entertain.

we came back christmas eve for our candlelight service marathon split between raleigh and smithfield.

and, Christmas morning we hung out with our friend hugh at the park.

yesterday afternoon we spent inside in ringgold with the pratt's as the snow fell outside.

and, today we are in awe of the amount of snow on the ground.

david has really enjoyed tearing into presents (his own and others') and he has loved being around all of our family.

tonight, we hope to enjoy a bit of chili with great friends.

here's a few photos to document the fun.

this year we decided to string popcorn... it took forever, but it was so much fun.

obviously having a blast...

andrew's family gave us a candlelight tour of the biltmore and a night on the town!

not a single photo from christmas morning came out clear... i guess it conveys the warm fuzzies of the moment...

LOVE

where are all the pictures?

2010-10-19T11:30:00.004-04:00

i know.

my child is probably going to talk about this in therapy.

i just haven't even thought about taking pictures in the past few months.

his first year is well-documented!

i hope to get on it soon.

but, for the time being, we will document with words.

super-awesome things about david:

1. the man sings the abc's (at age 20 months).

2. he spells his name.

3. tells the dog to "hush," to "s*it," and he commands him "down" and "no"

4. he's going pro in bathtub swimming.

5. everyday at school as i open the door, he jumps through and announces his presence with a huge "helloooooo" Seinfeld style.

and.....

6. he's better than you.

just thought it was about time to get that straight.

also,

pictures from the lovely ashley will be up on the blog soon,

so you can see what a very unhappy 20 month old looks like.

i can't wait!

beautiful day

2010-10-16T20:40:00.003-04:00

today david and i spent the day with my sweet grandmother.

we did absolutely nothing, and it was wonderful.

i grew up on the same piece of land in rural southside virginia as my grandmother.

she was literally "{down} the hill and through the woods".

when i began high school, gammie had surgery on one of her feet, and i moved in.

i have very special memories of drinking tea and eating scones while watching "you've got mail" and re-runs of "the facts of life" on nick at nite with gammie.

she was there as i went through my initiation into sub-debs.

and, she was there as i learned how to navigate a completely new stage of my life.

i moved back home {about 300 yards, as the crow flies} when she could get up and move around, but then i moved back in when she had her other foot done.

i love those memories.

today, we watched david play,

and once he was down for his nap, we watched the food network, read magazines, and drank tea together.

i was sad to leave this evening, but i am happy to add this to my perfect memories of my gammie.

and...

david said "gammie" about 20 times today :)

david has discovered...

2010-09-14T18:48:00.001-04:00

... the joys of feeding the dog his dinner.

and, when he runs out of food to feed him,

he begins to take the food out of his own mouth to so graciously give tucker just one more bite.

i love it.

everything is still broken...

2010-09-14T14:05:00.003-04:00

... or in a some state of repair.

on the bright side,

we get to wash our clothes at the laundromat.

and we got to stay up until 1am with the plumber saturday night.

yippee :)

but, isn't that life?

i am choosing to embrace it.

you hear people's stories where they recount the early years of their marriage where they had no money, lived in an apartment, ate ramen noodles everyday, and still made it.

we're in that phase, i guess, and i am choosing to embrace it.

to call it what it is and enjoy it.

yes, we are now having to go to the laundromat to wash our clothes for a little while, and i love it!

i hope i get to go with andrew next week!

i love the sights and the smells.

i love the people & the soaps on t.v.

i love the little lady who yells, "no wash? no dry!"

i love how real it feels even though it is foreign to how i grew up (in rural virginia without neighbors).

life now is messy, and unpredictable, and fun.

and, we are NEVER bored.

life now is full, and rich, and colorful.

and, we are ALWAYS loved.

i hope your week is wonderful and filled with color and love.

LOVE

and...

2010-09-11T20:24:00.001-04:00

why the heck is this not publishing in the correct font or font color?

please tell me, goggle.

list

2010-09-11T20:21:00.002-04:00

let's begin to list the things that have broken in our house in the past six days.

1. washing machine

2. followed shortly after by the dryer

3. and to round out a wonderful day today...

drumroll please...

the garbage disposal.

have a super day.

we are.

swagger wagon

2010-09-11T12:11:00.004-04:00

i'm not going to lie.

andrew + i have been drooling over this car for the past year.

we need this car.

and, this seals the deal.

these days...

2010-09-09T21:57:00.002-04:00

we have been moving too fast even for film.

i haven't been taking pictures of my sweet, growing boy

or of our new home in raleigh

have i even blogged about the move?

did you know that i began serving at a new church at the beginning of july?

from day one at trinity, i have been running and doing

serving

loving

meeting

growing

...and i have loved every second.

but, you should know that we are all still here.

david is nineteen whole months old.

what the what?!?

he counts to four (usually skipping one), and then he skips to six, and then to nine.

he must have a thing for multiples of three.

he spells his name?

usually it is spelled - d-a-b-i-d.

i'm telling you thing kid is smart.

boy genius material.

i don't mind so much the "b" substituted for "v" thing.

no biggie - just a dot difference in hebrew.

and he knows that

and he has chosen to express himself as his alter ego "dabid."

andrew is adjusting back to city life pretty well.

he loves being close to people,

and boy are we close now.

we moved from a 1,500 square foot house in the woods to a 1,000 (give or take - heavy on the take) square foot townhouse in the middle of Raleigh.

we have an abundance of neighbors,

we can walk to the grocery store, bank, pharmacy, etc.

fresh market is 494 feet from our front door to theirs.

life is a-changin'

& we're happy.

i promise to take a few pictures of the boy & blog again soon.

LOVE

an amalgam of thoughts... and still no photos

2010-06-25T13:13:00.004-04:00

husband is still camping it up,

and the house is still a mess.

there are piles of laundry everywhere begging to be folded and packed for the new house.

i've barely showered all week.

i don't do so well when andrew's away.

on the plus side:

i took a bath today

{i know.. hooray for me... and for all those kids at vbs tonight}

david and i have had a great week filled with nonny and skip, loads of giggles, and toy story 2.

i may paint my toenails today, but that's if i get extra ambitious.

yesterday, i did get a lot accomplished with church.... just nothing at home.

oh, and i'm making some cookies for some lovely vbs volunteers.

in other news:

my marilee is headed to albania for missions today.

she was supposed to leave yesterday for new york and then london to meet up with the rest of the missionaries assigned to albania with her,

but her flight from rdu kept getting delayed.

pray for her... i hate that this has already started out stressful for her.

she leaves tonight on a direct flight to london - pray everything goes well.

we're sure going to miss her here,

but i know they are going to love her there :)

no photos - just thoughts

2010-06-23T20:01:00.005-04:00

husband has the camera at camp this week.

sorry for the lack of photo,

but I do have a couple of thoughts and a couple of things I would hate to forget.

david is the best thing to hit this planet besides the husband.

we both sit in awe of him daily.

he is so very smart with a large vocabulary arsenal to blow your face off.

he is funny and mischievous.

he loves attention, and when he doesn't have it, by golly, he's going to get it.

and, he is so very loving.

he cuddles like it's nobody's business.

he gives about one hundred spontaneous kisses throughout the day.

there is nothing better than seeing my little boy run to me with a huge grin on his face and arms open wide.

he has discovered how to give puckered lips kisses, but he prefers to do otherwise and make the kissey noise after the fact.

i apologize for the lack of posts recently.

life has just been too busy to blog.

i just returned from a missions trip with my kids, andrew is at camp with his now, we move next week and i start at my new church, then andrew goes on a missions trip, then i go the next week, then andrew goes to camp again, then i go on a retreat with the seniors, then i go on a missions trip, and then andrew goes on his senior retreat.

life is not slowing down.

we will have about two weeks between all of our trips' end and the beginning of school and wednesday night kick-off at our churches.

so if it seems like we are mia... we are.

but, know that we are following God's calling and we are loving each other.

i will try to get as many pictures of david up as possible.

little anecdote:

our friends, david and sarah, are celebrating their third wedding anniversary today,

and i was reminded of a time about two or three weeks before their wedding when sarah and i were practicing writing our soon-to-be new names on a blackboard in the dance studio at campbell.

i told her today that i hope we never lose that excitement in our marriages...

so far, so good.

happy anniversary, friends!

Pants Are For Losers

2010-05-31T15:51:00.001-04:00

here's to summer & many more pantsless days

Oh And Another Thing...

2010-05-31T13:40:00.001-04:00

aren't they beautiful?

I Wub Beans

2010-05-31T13:19:00.004-04:00

vegetables are serious business around here...

green beans are just the tip of the iceberg.

I know it has been a while...

2010-05-30T20:28:00.005-04:00

... and I apologize.

Life has been super busy, and we just haven't had the time to slow down just yet.

This weekend we went to visit hubs' family, and we had a great time.

The best part was surprising hubs' brother, Harry.

It was his birthday this weekend, and we really got to celebrate.

Andrew had fun picking him up from church and school each day,

and I had fun laughing at all the crazy things his family comes up with!

I hope this is a beginning to my return to blogging,

but I can't promise anything.

We're in the eye of the storm this weekend

{we've been through the craziness and we're gearing up for more}.

I'll leave you with a little picture love to hold you over until next time!

hubs will probably make me take this one down... but I thought we should note the father attempting to eat his young.

Love.

Hey Birthday Boy

2010-02-01T19:17:00.004-05:00

get this man a cupcake.

thanks, skipper, for the lesson on how to eat large objects {i.e. waffle}.

whoa. dassah goo cuhcake.

happy birthday to me.

sugar overload? maybe.

he's in his bed wide awake... singing.

he went to bed at 6:45pm.
it is now 7:24pm.
and, husband asks, "wonder how long he's going to stay awake?"

happy birthday, sweet boy.
we love you.

Birthday Boy

2010-02-01T16:29:00.002-05:00

Birthday Log:
8:20am - wake up {2 minutes prior to my official birth time}, eat birthday pancakes + drink birthday milk.
9:00am - play to my heart's content
9:30am - mom + dad realize they have a sick birthday boy on their hands...
the problem? serious case of constipation.
prune juice pronto.
10:00am - all passed... tears are dried.
11:00am - nap time... dad is loud and wakes me up at 12pm.
12pm - birthday lunch = peas, carrots, + a little turkey
1pm - playtime with mom + dad {read: mom + dad trying to tire me out}
2pm - i want snacks! birthday snack of apple + cheerios
3pm - nap {again} PRAISE JESUS!

still napping...
soon we will have birthday dinner and a lovely birthday boy cupcake!
pictures to follow.

{due to inclement weather we now have a surplus of orange + blue cupcakes... interested? please contact me for more details}

One year ago...

2010-01-31T22:20:00.005-05:00

One year ago I was blogging about how impatient I was for David to arrive...
little did I know that in less than 10 hours I would be welcoming my son into the world.

Well, here we are - one year later.
Older and wiser (well, at least one of those is true).
I've loved seeing how much baby has grown,
and I love how husband and I have grown alongside him.

So tomorrow, we're gonna party like it's nineteen nint-er...February 1st, 2010!!

We'll eat cupcakes and play.
I'll put butter on his nose and I'll sing him the good morning song.
We'll wear funny hats and dance in confetti.
And, most of all, we'll make sure he knows just how much we love him.

But until then,
here's our day in the snow
{and, here in North Caroline snow is something to be celebrated}...

Guess Whose Birthday is Just Around the Corner...

2010-01-27T20:17:00.004-05:00

that's right.
you guessed it.
baby david is turning one.
and, from monday on, he will no longer be known as "baby" david.
he will be little boy david.

how are we celebrating?
as we do with all Tatum milestones -
a lovely photo shoot with the even more lovely Ms. Stephenson.

Seriously, if you haven't discovered the joy of blog stalking this woman,
you have not yet lived.
you are merely playing at life,
and your first breath awaits you with one click of the mouse.
come on you know you need this -
Story Photographers Here We Come!

never lacking in the adorable department

2010-01-13T15:37:00.003-05:00

So, who wants to hear how adorable my son is?
Gosh, I hate that I lost my memory card.
I would have taken so many pictures to document the adorableness.
But, alas, no memory card, no pictures.
So, onto the adorableness.

Recently David has started to show a big interest in music
{surprise, surprise... you would understand if you knew husband}.
He loves to play guitar -
all the time.
He is always trying to thwart my baby corralling efforts to get to the guitars.
And, whenever Andrew is playing, he is always encouraging David to play along with him.
Oh, and... David dances -
like it's his job.
He dances when Andrew plays.
He dances when my Gilmore Girls dvd plays the end credits.
Really, he just dances whenever he fancies.
And, boy does he fancy dancing.
Music + dancing.
Two favorites.
This is going to be fun.

Also, David has been saying "hey kitty" and "Reggie" for a while now.
He chases her around.
He pulls her tail.
And, I tell him to be gentle.
Too cute.
I know.
But, today the cuteness factor went through the roof.
Now, when Reggie is curled up sleeping so sweetly, instead of pulling her tail or torturing her in any other creative baby way, he rubs her tail on his face and then lays his head down on her.

Cutest baby in the world.
I win.

Post 4 of David-in-Retrospect

2010-01-12T14:00:00.002-05:00

april 3, 2009

Post 3 of David-in-Retrospect

2010-01-09T10:29:00.005-05:00

our first trip -
visiting family in kdh, kitty hawk, and corolla
with nonni, gammie, and mommy

march 4, 2009

march 6, 2009

little bitty legs.
long gone, now.
replaced by michelin man.

Post 2 of David-in-Retrospect

2010-01-08T23:37:00.003-05:00

february 18, 2009

so tiny.

{photo credit - Ashley Stephenson}

Post 1 of David-in-Retrospect

2010-01-06T21:45:00.004-05:00

december 8, 2008

i couldn't choose just one.

{photo credit - Ashley Stephenson}

No. 1 Implies No. 2

2010-01-06T19:59:00.005-05:00

why, yes. yes, it does.
but, in the event of husband holding the remaining christmas pictures hostage on his hard drive,
we will not have a no. 2 post to the previous no. 1's.
i apologize.
they may come later in the year,
in which case they will be a little too late for posting.

so, en lieu of the no. 2 post,
i will post some of my favorites of the season.

here goes.

aunt claire and uncle harry...
we love you too much for words :)

a little late afternoon action

aren't these flannel jammies too cute?
thanks ms. elaine!

in other news,
can you believe david's 1st birthday is less than a month away?
i sure can't.
prepare yourselves for david-in-retrospect posts.

until then,

LOVE

Tatum-Hershenson Christmas Festivities No. 1

2010-01-05T19:57:00.006-05:00

Who wants to see a sweet baby?

...sweetest ever

So, Nana (husband's mom:) sent me some pictures from our Christmas visit, and I am so excited to share them.
We really had a great time.
We ate way too much, we lounged, one day we drove east to Asheville for a little Barnes & Noble q.t., and we really just enjoyed each others company.
I loved our time together.
And, despite any picture evidence, I was there!
I think I have shied away from the camera one too many times, so there really are no pictures to prove that I was there.
But, I would like the record to show that I was, in fact, present and accounted for at this blessed family event.

favorite aunt claire came Saturday morning for a visit... and for the pancakes :)

and, husband and david had some quality air time...

more to come once I get them downloaded

until then,

LOVE

Pratt-Tatum Christmas Festivities No. 1

2010-01-03T23:08:00.006-05:00

So, here are a few pictures from Christmas day and Christmas dinner.
I was going for a grainy/newsprint look.
It may or may not have come off... but nothing looks right when I upload it to the blog.

First Christmas present...

This was uneventful... he pulled off a little paper and began to eat it.
That's it folks, show's over.
I had to open it the rest of the way.

But, once it was open, it was most definitely his favorite gift of the season.
Thanks Uncle Phil and Aunt Dawn!

Apparently mom's family always took a family photo around the dinner table on Christmas Day.
{p.s. my mother does not normally dress this way... this was my grandfather's Christmas shirt... complete joke}
Also, notice the boys are both completely enthralled with the Skipper.
We all are.

more to come soon.

New Year

2010-01-03T20:48:00.003-05:00

Welcome 2010.
I never imagined you would be here so fast.
My beautiful little boy is almost one year old,
and my beautiful marriage to my beautiful husband is just over two years old.

Andrew, David, and I are finally home for a little while.
We traveled to Ringgold to see my family and to Waynesville to see husband's.
Our time was too precious even to describe.
Of course there was a lot of baby cuddling,
but there were also many great conversations.
I am so grateful for our family and for each unique personality.
It is nice to be home, though.
We are exhausted but happy
{and our waistbands are a little larger}.

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera on BOTH trips,
so I will have to rely on family members to send me pictures.
We've got a few from my mother's camera,
and I just need to ask my mother-in-law for her pictures.

Thanks for sticking with me over the past year amid all of the wonderful baby chaos.
And, here's to another year of growing!

LOVE

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T11:23:00.003-05:00

This year we opted for a smaller tree {and my first artificial tree} because we were not interested in playing defense all Advent/Christmas season.
We decorated with garland, lights, and ornaments inside the house, and we put up our big ceramic lights outside.
We put the tree up on the counter so David couldn't get to it, but Reggie, the cat, still could.
She knocked the ornaments off and ate the branches.
But, at least David didn't get into it.
We love the house when it is all decorated.
It has been a wonderful place to make memories with friends and family.
I hope everyone can feel the warmth and love of God our Father, Christ our Savior, and the Holy Spirit us indwelling.

Merry Christmas everyone!

bath time's my favorite

2009-12-16T21:06:00.006-05:00

... bath time is his favorite.

a word for the day...

2009-12-09T15:29:00.002-05:00

Learn to do good;

seek justice, rescue the oppressed,

defend the orphan, plead for the widow.

- isaiah 1:17

our day {in black + white}

2009-12-09T14:59:00.005-05:00

i have been trying to get a picture of david playing with reggie for a while now,
but every time i take the camera out he stops.
so, this will have to do for now.
just know that they were playing only moments before this picture was taken.

the rest of these pictures are just because i already had the camera out of the bag.
i now have a very small window of opportunity for any photo shoot because when my subject notices the camera he attacks it.

funny faces

2009-12-09T14:51:00.003-05:00

so i decided to take my camera out of the bag today,
and i didn't really get anything photographically brilliant.
but, i did capture some pretty great moments and some pretty great faces.
i'm actually going to split them into two posts.

again... not the best photos, but they made me chuckle.

speaking of story photographers...

2009-12-07T22:16:00.006-05:00

andrew told me this afternoon that he had a surprise for me, but i had to wait until christmas.

if you know andrew like i know andrew, then you know that he cannot keep secrets or surprises when he is exctied about them.

i told you in the previous post that andrew and david had lunch with ashley and big david today.

well, ashley apparently though david was too cute not to photograph.

so here it is.
my surprise.

a sooc impromptu photo shoot in the front yard.

thank you, ashley.
i love them.

...yeah, i'm sassy.

... he's not too sure about grass.
he'll sit on blankets and mats on grass.
he will touch the grass.
but he will not crawl on the grass.

and... i'm done.
kapow!

{david waves some, but this is what he does when he's super excited to see you... fist pump! yeah!}

thanks again, ashley!

check her out here and here.
call her up.
set up a shoot.
and love your pictures.

Finals + Sock Monkeys

2009-12-07T20:09:00.005-05:00

well... one more final to go.
thursday is my greek final, and then i am done until january 18th!

i had my new testament 1 {the gospels} final this afternoon, so hubs took david out for a day full of errands dressed as a sock monkey.
{remember the outfit? the sweater to go over his clothes when it is cold outside?}

he fixed my running lights on my car, then got my car inspected and got my new registration.
{and last week he got new tires put on my car}
seriously great husband... i know.
they spent the day in raleigh having lunch with our friends, ashley and big david
{one of the many "big davids" in our life}
and then they both took a field trip to whole foods.
i am seriously jealous of the fun-filled day they had without me.

but, i finished my studying and my reflection paper and took my final.
{however poorly i may have performed}

this is what made it all worth while...

in fact, this is what makes every day worth while.

...a short return to blogging...

2009-11-21T14:48:00.004-05:00

So, I know it has been a while, but just hold on for another three weeks, and I will be back in full force.
School and church have both really swamped me this past month.
But, I have two more papers to write and four finals to take, and then I will be done for about a month and a half.

Also, I know this might qualify me as a bad mom, but I haven't taken a single picture since our trips to Waynesville and Blacksburg.
I can't even tell you right off where my camera is sitting right now. So, when this following cute moment happened, I was forced to document with the camera on my phone.
Sorry for the poor quality, but you get the jist.

David was playing; and when I looked up, he had climbed on to the shelf underneath one of our end tables.
He was pretty content to sit in his new hideout for a while, but I rescued him shortly after I took this picture.

And... it wasn't long until he was up to something else.
David was playing quietly, and I was reading for class when he peaked his little head around the edge of the couch and called for me to look.
He was covered in Vaseline and so was the floor, the end of the couch, and the basket where the Vaseline container was sitting.
Needless to say, we are are very well moisturized here
{floor and our furniture included}.

That's it for three more weeks!
Oh, except a little update:
*David has four teeth.
*He is cruising and trying to stand on his own.
*He is enormously tall {29in at 9months - Andrew is 5'6" and I am 5'3 1/2"}.
*And, I think he said his first words yesterday.
{I say "I think" because it was really out of the blue, and I really don't want his first words to be "no, no!"}

Oh well, I guess I have started another story.

David and I meet my friend Elaine at Tacos Oaxaca in Lillington, NC

{p.s. BEST Mexican food I have had since San Antonio when Andrew and I were there for our honeymoon}.

And, as we were leaving, Elaine was talking to me as if she were David

{as do most incredibly lucid people}

when she said, "No, Mommy! No, no!"

(and I really don't remember the context as to why she would be teaching my child such defiant words}.

Immediately after she said that, David said, as clear as day, "No, no!"
Elaine and I both heard it, but I cannot get him to do it again

{and I don't want to push that phrase too much just to get some words out of him}.

So, this may or may not be his first sentence.
End of story.

{really, not the best story... after I re-read it}.

Who likes proust? I like proust. Do you like proust?

2009-10-21T22:34:00.005-04:00

I have never been caught up in the whole facebook-25-questions-things, but I do like a nice, short proust every now and again.

1. what is your idea of perfect happiness?

growing old with my husband, watching my children become the people God wants them to be, knowing I have lived my life in service of others,
and sitting on my back porch for every sunset holding hands with the ones I love.

2. what is your most treasured possession?

my family.
{can I posses them?}
everything else I can live without.

3. what is your greatest fear?

living longer than my children.

4. which talent would you most like to have?

I wish I could sing + play the piano,
but then I'd never get anything done.

5. what or who is the greatest love of your life?

andrew + david.
{sometimes it's overwhelming how much I love them}

6. what is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

I procrastinate more than anyone else in the world.

7. what do you value most in your friends?

loyalty + laughter.

oh.. and my favorite picture of myself so far...

{eight months pregnant... fat and happy}

Fall Retreat

2009-10-13T22:18:00.002-04:00

This would be more of a retreat if I didn't have to study for two mid-terms and write papers.
But, it does have its moments.

Harvest is Here

2009-10-13T21:55:00.003-04:00

Fall is here in full force, and I am so behind.
Growing up, we never really got into decorating for fall other than mums on the front porch.
But, this year, I'm starting.

Here is my to do list for when we return from our fall retreat:

1. Buy pumpkins... maybe paint some of them gold.
2. Move books from the living area to the study to make room for decorations.
3. Buy a pumpkin candle.
4. Make a wreath... leaves, acorns, mini pumpkins??
5. Buy gold chargers and harvest-colored runner/ place mats.

Let's Go... HOKIES!

2009-10-11T15:01:00.010-04:00

David attended his first Tech football game yesterday at the ripe old age of eight months and one week.
Skip and Nonni made sure he was dressed head to toe in Hokie gear -
hokie hat, hokie sweat suit, and hokie onesie.
He also has
hokie pajamas, a hokie bib, and another hokie onesie.

Obviously hubs also got in on the hokie gear action.

This is the 'Enter Sandman' face... he's pumped.

David was a fan of the hokies, and the hokies were definitely a fan of David.

Hangin with Mr. Cooper

2009-10-11T14:50:00.004-04:00

My brother, Phillip, and his wife, Dawn, welcomed Cooper Edward into the world Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 3:30pm.
He weighed 7lbs 10oz and was 20in long.

Gammie {Cooper's Great Grandmother}

Classy

2009-10-07T23:11:00.010-04:00

WARNING: Photodump ahead!

My cousin gets married this month.
So, he had a redneck racing weekend for his bachelor party,
which really means we had a weekend made for pictures.
I will only post those which will pose no threat of incrimination.
Some got into the theme a little more than others,
but fun was had by all.

A few disclaimers:

1. I took copious amounts of photos of my sister... and they are all included here because she is too beautiful not to share with all of blogdom.

2. I am still in my desaturated/ b&w phase.  Please forgive me, I know not what I do.

3. My family is gorgeous.

4. I NEED a DSLR ASAP.

The class is literally dripping off of this photo.

David wanted in on the redneck action... chewing grass.

Aunt Kesalmeister.

We love the Kesalmeister!

Gorgeous, of course.

Who doesn't love a pickled liver?

It's good that he doesn't look at my blog because he hates having his picture taken... and he would hate this picture... but I caught sunflare!!!

D.B.

I pray I look like her as I mature.
p.s. she's a Nonni... bet you'd never guess.

The Skipper... or Mary Anne depending on who you ask.

lovely.

I hope you enjoyed the fun... we sure did!

{oh yeah... and who really believed I would take a blogging break longer than a week?}

Postedit:  Baby Cooper was born today at 3:30pm.  Dawn is doing well recovering, and Phillip is learning to be a dad.  Photos to come... I will travel to see them all tomorrow night!!

Let's Take It Slow

2009-09-30T15:30:00.007-04:00

{i'm a little overwhelmed}

3 papers
+ 1 evangelism workshop
+ 4 mid-terms
+ upcoming birth of nephew Cooper
+ seester Katie visiting
+ cousin Drew's wedding
+ waynesville visit
+ youth retreat planning
+ life with baby and hubs
=
blogging break
{with a few minor exceptions, when i feel the uncontrollable need to share}

love you all. but, i've got to do life right now.

{you can still follow me on twitter @lptatum}

New Glasses

2009-09-26T21:29:00.005-04:00

So, I finally had my eyes checked after almost five years, and of course my prescription changed.
And, I knew that I need new glasses - there is a huge scratch on the right lens directly in my line of sight along with many other smaller scratches all over, and David cracked the earpiece so it would no longer willingly stay on my head.

All that is to say that I ordered new glasses.
Well, I ordered them online for about $15.
{lenses & frames!!}
I ordered them without ever trying them on.
And, they are great glasses - I can see great and they are of good quality.
But, I'm not sure that I really like them on my face.
The up side is that I paid very little for them so I can always get another pair.

But, enough of the intro.
I want to know what you think - honestly.
None of this "you look great" crap.
Leah, I am talking to you.
I know I can always count on you... you told me the truth when I knew my venture into the land of highlights was the worst choice I could have made.
Do I need to just bite the bullet and do the whole contacts thing?

Before {10 months, 1 baby, and 38lbs earlier}

After {today}

Thoughts?

Reggie

2009-09-23T14:44:00.003-04:00

Meet Reggie.

She's the newest member of the Tatum household.
{Come to think of it, I do not know if I have ever introduced Tucker, our foxhound.
So, be looking for a Tucker post soon.}

Reggie has been with us since Monday, but I haven't blogged about her for many reasons:

1. I am a slacker
2. Every time I think about it, it is too dark to get a good picture
3. Number two has a lot to do with the fact that it has been raining and gross for the past couple days
4. The flu has invaded the Tatum household, but fret not; we will prevail.

Nonetheless, Reggie is here with us.
What a beautiful name, you may proclaim.
Why yes, we know.

Reggie's name came from a couple of sources of inspiration:

1. Husband is obsessed with the since canceled HBO series, Dead Like Me.
2. We are a little weird and it is short for "Salve Regina" - the Marion antiphon.

{A little background, our last cat was named Saint Hildegarde von Bingen.
We have some issues we are currently aware of but have no desire to work out at this point}

{This is how Reggie likes to study}

I felt that b&w was the only way to go when editing Reggie's pictures, seeing as how she is grey and white... or is it gray and white?
I probably will never know the answer to that question... nor do I care.

So, here she is.

She likes:

to sleep on top of her humans
to run around like a mad woman in the morning banking off all hard surfaces
to lounge and sleep for the rest of the day
to study with husband
to play tag with the monster
and, to sit in the dishwasher

She does not like:

to be bothered.

I Heart Faces - Completely Candid Challenge

2009-09-21T21:42:00.003-04:00

Well, with a seven month old, candid is all you get.
He never poses, much to my chagrin.
And, though, I already posted this picture in my last post, it cracks me up too much not to post it again and again.

Sunday Best

2009-09-20T21:08:00.006-04:00

David went to church with hubs this morning.
Andrew has been asking for a while when he will get to take the monster with him,
and this morning we were both feeling the change of pace.
I walked out of the house this morning with no baby paraphernalia and no baby.
It was weird.
I ate at our new member lunch without any interruption.
And I missed him every minute, but the freedom was nice.

So, to make up for lost time, when they got home I staged a little monster photo shoot.
And, apparently I was really in a b&w mood, so the majority of these are pretty monochrome.

Could this be the beginning of throwing up gang signs?

We got some pretty good faces.

He's such a handsome little monster.
{Shirt: Crazy 8 }

I Heart Faces - Fix It Friday

2009-09-18T23:04:00.004-04:00

So, it is Fix It Friday, and though I have participated before, I have never posted my fixes.

Here is the original.

And, here is how I "fixed it" just using Aperture 2.0.

I kinda like it.

There aren't any actions for Aperture, but you can make up your own presets for how you typically like some things set.
So here's my one and only that I have made and then some other manual adjustments.
I'm learning.

Jim & Pam

2009-09-17T15:44:00.003-04:00

Tonight.
The Office.
Be there.

{I stole this from someone who stole this from someone else. basically it's floating around on the internestas}

{I'm too happy for words}

Weekend Pictures - A couple favorites

2009-09-14T12:23:00.004-04:00

This picture is pretty hilarious... I know.

That is one handsome, church-going man right there.
He's definitely the stud of the nursery.. sorry Liz, Johnny's a close second :)

My Other Option That I Voted Against

2009-09-14T11:11:00.003-04:00

did I pick the wrong one?
I'm so indecisive, but the entry is already, well, entered.

I Heart Faces

2009-09-14T10:37:00.004-04:00

So, I have been a passive observer of I Heart Faces Photo Challenges for a while, but passive I am no more.
Here's my entry for the "contemplative" challenge.
{it looks so much better in aperture than on the blog}

Mildly Obsessed...

2009-09-13T21:14:00.001-04:00

... with this video.
I hope you enjoy it
{or... at least you might be mildly interested}

This Week's Favorites

2009-09-12T20:50:00.001-04:00

This post on punctuation is heavenly.

These shoes are divine.

This guys are winners.

This blog is my pick for this week. She's just so quirky and fun!

Marilee, this bowl was made for you.

This is my wishlist from heaven. {hear the angels sing as you open it}

And as always, my fav photog, the lovely Ms. Stephenson.

Our Year in Reverse {in pictures}

2009-09-12T20:05:00.011-04:00

Some pictures by Ashley, most by me {most unedited, many already posted}

BTW - We Are "Proficient" Crawlers

2009-09-12T17:37:00.005-04:00

David has been crawling for a little while now, but he has been a "proficient" crawler for about a week, now.
{meaning he crawls with opposite arm and leg}

The aforementioned saucer {or "coaster," as hubs likes to call it} is a big help in corralling him.

Please ignore the graininess and my obnoxious baby voice. I honestly didn't know I sounded like that. I hereby pledge to stop it.

Thanks Aunt Betsy!

2009-09-12T17:10:00.002-04:00

{he really does like it... don't let the somber visage fool you}

We are now proud owners of an activity saucer - thanks Aunt Betsy!

I can now get things done around my house...

I thank you,

Andrew thanks you,

the dust does not thank you.

Human Toys

2009-09-12T16:26:00.004-04:00

Recently, although David has more than enough toys, he much prefers to play with anything non-baby.

Hubs says he just likes to play with human things.

Says a lot about how he views our spawn, doesn't it?

Hey, offspring! Hey you, fruit of my loins! What are you doing over there?

Oh nothing, just sucking out your brains and playing with your human things.

Saturday Stroll

2009-09-12T16:04:00.003-04:00

This morning, Andrew, David, and I went downtown for a little stroll, some Larry's Beans, and a book... or five.

We love Fuquay and it's crazy two downtowns - this morning, however, we just went to the old Fuquay downtown... maybe next weekend we'll give old Varina some lovin.

We spent a little time at Stickboy and Lazy Lion, but mostly we were out just to spend some q.t. together.

The monster wasn't too keen on the stroller, but hubs had a good time.

Playtime with Daddy - other possible aliases = Daddy Dre, Drew Diddy

2009-09-12T15:03:00.006-04:00

First off - Bahahahahaha on the witty alternate aliases.
Why yes, I am that funny in real life.

Second - It has been a while since I have posted any everyday photo montages,
so here are Andrew and David playing yesterday evening when Andrew got home from the office
- enjoy.

Playing with Drew Diddy is exhausting.

{p.s. sorry for the poor picture quality... but you can buy me a Nikon D90 and remedy this problem in the future}

O!!

2009-09-12T12:42:00.003-04:00

O, how we love Oprah :)

This was the largest single-city flash mob to date.
man, I wish I lived in Chicago just so I could be involved in this.
I think some latent pregnancy hormones have shown up because for some reason I cried through the whole thing...
no clue why.
I really don't love Oprah that much.

These Kids Are Amazing

2009-09-09T23:44:00.002-04:00

I'm pretty sure these kids must be about 10 or 11, and they are pretty amazing!

Mrs. O

2009-09-09T22:59:00.007-04:00

Last night I attended my fourth grade teacher's memorial service.
Growing up I, along with my brother and sister, attended a very small Catholic school in Danville, Virginia.
We were close to all of our teachers and peers.
Katie and I even go back a couple of times a year to visit the teachers who are still at it.
They've met the monster... and hubs, for that matter.
Sacred Heart is a big part of who I am, so when I got the message that Mrs. O passed away, I knew I couldn't be anywhere else at 7 o'clock Tuesday night.

There were, as there would be with any memorial service, sad times, but I smiled more than I cried.
Students and teachers recalled sweet anecdotes.

Mrs. O kept a jar of marbles which taught us about the consequences of our actions.
If we were good - behaved for a substitute or all did our homework - we would get a marble in the jar.
If we were bad - or even if one of us was bad - we would lose a marble from the jar.
Once our jar was full, we got a special treat from Mrs. O - popsicles, extra recess, or a movie.

All fourth graders made the trek with Mrs. O to Monticello, and all fourth graders had this jar of marbles and learned in her pastel painted room.
But my specific memories of Mrs. O's class are these:
This was the year when I learned about the internet - websites/ addresses, email, etc.
I remember doing group work sitting under the table in the front right-hand corner of her room.
I remember putting on a sock puppet show.
I remember her hugs - they were the best because you knew she meant it.
This was the year when I refused to wear my jumper - I was in a super tomboy phase - I only wore my black wide-welled corduroys and navy vans, and I parted my hair down the middle.

This was the year when I met Laura Lee - who effectively changed my outlook on life forever - she helped me see that I'm perfect the way I am - beautiful and weird.
I remember the first day I saw Laura.
It was the first day of school, and we were allowed to dress in our everyday clothes - not our uniforms of plaid jumpers with white polos or black pants with white polos.
Laura sported an over-sized dress and wet pigtails.
Mrs. O was welcoming us to fourth grade - we were no longer in the "primary" wing of the school - we had graduated to the "intermediate wing" where there were lockers
{which we didn't get to use yet, but it was cool that they were there}
Amidst her welcome monologue, Mrs. O stopped, and she asked Laura what she was doing.
We all turned to see the new girl on her knees in the aisle with all of her books out on the floor.
"Well, Mrs. O, the books were just thrown in there!"
She was new and perfectly weird, and I loved her.
And, so did Mrs. O.

Mrs. O was the most understanding woman there was.
"She had a soft spot for little boys with blue eyes" - she had to to crack my brother.
My brother spent a lot of time in the principal's office, and probably will not recall as many fond memories of Sacred Heart as my sister and I will, but he loved Mrs. O.
She was they only one who broke through his rough exterior and loved him for the little hellion he was.

Mrs. O, you loved each of us as your own children, and we knew it.
You invested every part of yourself into forming us into the people we would become.
You were a true educator, and a woman of the highest rank.
We love you, and we will see you when the roll is called.

- Lydia,  4th grader circa 1995-1996

My Heart is Smiling

2009-09-06T22:42:00.004-04:00

I'm a youth minister.
Have I told you that, dear internet?
I am sure I have somewhere down the line.
But, here it is again --> me = youth minister.

I love my youthies very much...
so much, in fact, I don't think I can or ever will have another youth group besides my family at FV Pres.
I love them too much.
I have invested too much of myself - emotion-wise and soul-wise.
No other youth group could ever begin to compare.

We love each other.
We love to have fun - obviously.
We love to laugh together,
cry together,
smile together,
sing together,
worship together,
learn together,
grow together,
be together.

They are my favorites.
And, here are just a few of them.

{photo - Marilee}

Aren't they beautiful?
I think so.

Who Wants to See My Husband Dance Around & Sing Like a Girl?

2009-09-06T21:21:00.003-04:00

All you have to do is play this song...

The Cutest Thing You Have Ever Seen

2009-09-06T20:45:00.004-04:00

I went shopping today for some cooler weather outfits for the monster, and I stumbled upon a great kids' store - Crazy 8.
I am sure everyone has heard of it, and I am just that out of the loop.
But, anyway, I got David some really great things, but the best of all...

This sock monkey outfit is sure to make all the wombs of all child-bearing women within 20 miles jump for joy...

My Loves

2009-09-05T21:09:00.004-04:00

{photo - Ashley}

Here is my current list of things I absolutely love and cannot live without
{besides the obvious - my hubs and my monster}:

1. Garlic, Parmesan cheese, and butter must always ALWAYS be in my refrigerator - they are the most common denominator in all of the things I cook/ bake.
2. Chubby baby cheeks for kissing.
3. Dancing in the kitchen with hubs.
4. Practicing Sunday's worship songs on Saturday nights.
5. My trusty Kitchenaid - Lucy - and her best friend, my old standby, the Blue Whirl hand-crank mixer - Ethel.
6. Hymns.
7. Worship in Butler Chapel with my divinity school family.
8. Autumn - the changing of seasons, beautiful colors, football, and school.
9. And, along those lines - school supplies - I love the way they look and smell.
10. Motherhood - every last moment.

I am certain that there will always be a rotating list of things I love dependent on my mood, the season, the day, and my age; but the one constant
- Family
{every last lunatic, God help 'em}

Heartbeat for Worship

2009-09-05T20:38:00.003-04:00

Tonight, hubs is off playing at a worship event - Heartbeat for Worship - with Luis Conte and Lou Santiago, Jr at Fayetteville State University.

Here's Luis Conte in action
{playing with Phil Collins, mind you}:

And here is Lou Santiago, Jr.:

He started doing this last year with our friend, David.
{Not to be confused with any of the other Davids who are friends, or the other Davids who are cousins, or even with our sweet monster David}
I just texted him and asked if he was having fun, and he said
"oh gosh yes. this is amazing!"
It is basically a percussion worship experience, and Andrew and David are providing a little bit of accompaniment to all of their amazing drumming.

Here is the trailer for the event
{hubs is the one playing the red electric guitar in the blue shirt}:

Pretty fun! I am jealous that I didn't get to go, but the monster has to sleep sometime!

So, instead, the monster and I went over and had some yummy spaghetti with "Aunt" Leah and "Uncle" Chad.
David has already got a great group of "extended" aunts and uncles who love him and play with him...
and really just put up with me and Andrew in all of our babiness.
We are so grateful for all of our family and friends who are sticking by us during this transition in our lives and even, to an extent, in theirs.
Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in David and forget that there are other special people in our lives, too!
But, that is precisely why they are so special
- they love us even when we unintentionally neglect them!